James Monaghan
My Story
I am excited and daunted in equal measure to say that I will be running the London Marathon on Sunday 23 April 2023. I will doing so in support of the National Autistic Society, a charity very close to my heart.
As some of you might already be aware although I am sure many are not, my younger brother Will was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 and it has been a condition that has played a major role in my family’s life ever since I can remember. From a very young age I saw at close quarters the great work the NAS does in promoting autism awareness and how they provide help and support for families impacted by the condition.
One of my (granted many!) failings is not being very good when it comes to opening up about my experiences of having a close family member with the condition. Moving forward, I have made it a personal target of mine to make myself available to field questions / provide guidance where I can to those who wish to better understand autism. With that being said, if you or anyone close to you has anything they would like to know on the subject please do let me know!
In the attached photo I am wearing my dad’s vest from when he ran the London Marathon back in 2004 when he also fundraised for the National Autistic Society. While I have my work cut out to come close to his time of 3h43 (which he did at the age of 40!), I hope to do my best in matching his stellar efforts in raising funds for this excellent charity and cause.
I would be eternally grateful for any donation no matter how small as I continue pounding the pavements in the cold evenings in the run up to the big day!
Please see below the link to my Enthuse donation page:
