MS Society

Daniel Egner

Daniel Egner

Daniel Egner

My Story

The year that changed my life….

My running journey begin with a photo. It was taken on the 28th of December 2021 after a family Christmas gathering. In the months preceding the photo I hadn’t noticed the weight gain or my mental health deteriorating, but I didn’t have any energy in the evenings, was snappy with work colleagues and family, and would stop on the way home in the evening and buy ‘snacks’ to eat on the way home.

Up until then I had been ignorant of the effect this lifestyle was having on me. But after being shown this photo, I was appalled by how unhealthy i had become and a switch went off in my head. I vowed to get in shape in the new year and dieting/running was something free to do and I had done a bit before.

This time though rather than setting the goal of running to lose weight I decided, as a new year’s resolution, to aim to run a 5k in March 2022 and a 10k in May 2022. These were more quantifiable goals than weight so I booked these in with a positive spirit.  At this point I daydreamed about being able to run the Robin Hood Half Marathon in September, but this seemed an impossible goal at the time. Only super fit people ran Half/Full Marathons and I was convinced that no matter how well I did this was out of my league.

I started with a couch to 5k in January and steadily worked my way up to March where I ran the Rother Valley 5k. I was nervous on the day as I didn’t know what to expect but completed it coming about halfway through the field. I was absolutely elated, and the buzz I got from completing something I aimed for was brilliant

That day I learned two important lessons:

  1. Running wasn’t about size or ‘winning’, it was about fitness and how it made you feel mentally (I have become a huge believer in running for mental health)
  2. The feeling of completing a race/distance was addictive

I had completed the couch to 5k but continued training and completed the London Vitality 10k in May. That was it, I’d done what I’d set out to do and in the meantime I was 4 stone lighter and fitter than I had ever been. I had a couple of friends who were doing the half marathon for charity and they asked if I'd thought abut doing it? The question took me back to that first week in January when this seemed impossible, and I was initially reluctant to commit.

With some more encouragment from them i started to believe and one Sunday I was curious…could I do it? I set out and took some different roads and started counting off the km’s.  I had thought 10k was my limit but thought maybe if I just push through the mental barrier…when I got home, I had run 22km. I realised it was all possible if I put my mind to it, nothing was impossible.

The same day I entered the Robin Hood Half Marathon, and in September completed this with a sub 2hr time. I'd acheived what i thought was impossible only 9 months before so what next? I set my sights on the big one!

The London Marathon has, up until this year, been as likely for me as walking on the moon. It is something I have only ever dreamed of doing and then just as quickly dismissed myself as too big or too unhealthy to even think about attempting.  In my mind it is the pinnacle of road running races for the common folk and running it will be the cumulation of over a year of hard work and dedication to turning around my fitness and health. To even get a place in the 2023 event is a true bucket list item and I feel blessed to be given the chance.

I have decided to use the opportunity I have been given to raise money for a charity that has helped my family so much in the past and I hope that through your donation we can raise money for this much loved charity.

The MS Society have been a great help to my family over the last few years and in particular my Mum arranging medical and accessibility equipment, an electric wheelchair and helping my dad with arranging homecare. In return I’m hoping to raise 2k to help them continue to help others in similar situations

In short, I started for the weight loss, stayed for the mental health benefits, and continue in order to raise some money for a great charity.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and Ill see you at the finish line (hopefully!)

MS Society

Raising for:

MS Society
244%

Funded

  • Target
    £2,000
  • Raised so far
    £4,878
  • Number of donors
    57

My Story

The year that changed my life….

My running journey begin with a photo. It was taken on the 28th of December 2021 after a family Christmas gathering. In the months preceding the photo I hadn’t noticed the weight gain or my mental health deteriorating, but I didn’t have any energy in the evenings, was snappy with work colleagues and family, and would stop on the way home in the evening and buy ‘snacks’ to eat on the way home.

Up until then I had been ignorant of the effect this lifestyle was having on me. But after being shown this photo, I was appalled by how unhealthy i had become and a switch went off in my head. I vowed to get in shape in the new year and dieting/running was something free to do and I had done a bit before.

This time though rather than setting the goal of running to lose weight I decided, as a new year’s resolution, to aim to run a 5k in March 2022 and a 10k in May 2022. These were more quantifiable goals than weight so I booked these in with a positive spirit.  At this point I daydreamed about being able to run the Robin Hood Half Marathon in September, but this seemed an impossible goal at the time. Only super fit people ran Half/Full Marathons and I was convinced that no matter how well I did this was out of my league.

I started with a couch to 5k in January and steadily worked my way up to March where I ran the Rother Valley 5k. I was nervous on the day as I didn’t know what to expect but completed it coming about halfway through the field. I was absolutely elated, and the buzz I got from completing something I aimed for was brilliant

That day I learned two important lessons:

  1. Running wasn’t about size or ‘winning’, it was about fitness and how it made you feel mentally (I have become a huge believer in running for mental health)
  2. The feeling of completing a race/distance was addictive

I had completed the couch to 5k but continued training and completed the London Vitality 10k in May. That was it, I’d done what I’d set out to do and in the meantime I was 4 stone lighter and fitter than I had ever been. I had a couple of friends who were doing the half marathon for charity and they asked if I'd thought abut doing it? The question took me back to that first week in January when this seemed impossible, and I was initially reluctant to commit.

With some more encouragment from them i started to believe and one Sunday I was curious…could I do it? I set out and took some different roads and started counting off the km’s.  I had thought 10k was my limit but thought maybe if I just push through the mental barrier…when I got home, I had run 22km. I realised it was all possible if I put my mind to it, nothing was impossible.

The same day I entered the Robin Hood Half Marathon, and in September completed this with a sub 2hr time. I'd acheived what i thought was impossible only 9 months before so what next? I set my sights on the big one!

The London Marathon has, up until this year, been as likely for me as walking on the moon. It is something I have only ever dreamed of doing and then just as quickly dismissed myself as too big or too unhealthy to even think about attempting.  In my mind it is the pinnacle of road running races for the common folk and running it will be the cumulation of over a year of hard work and dedication to turning around my fitness and health. To even get a place in the 2023 event is a true bucket list item and I feel blessed to be given the chance.

I have decided to use the opportunity I have been given to raise money for a charity that has helped my family so much in the past and I hope that through your donation we can raise money for this much loved charity.

The MS Society have been a great help to my family over the last few years and in particular my Mum arranging medical and accessibility equipment, an electric wheelchair and helping my dad with arranging homecare. In return I’m hoping to raise 2k to help them continue to help others in similar situations

In short, I started for the weight loss, stayed for the mental health benefits, and continue in order to raise some money for a great charity.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and Ill see you at the finish line (hopefully!)