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Official Press Release
 Phil
Packer, who suffered severe spinal cord injuries in 2008 and
has raised over £1.3million for charity by rowing the English
Channel, walking the London Marathon over 14 days and hauling
himself up El Capitan (over 4250 pull ups in 3 days) all within
a six month period last year, will attempt to walk this year's
Virgin London Marathon in 26 hours for 26
charities.
At 1000 hrs on Sunday 25th April,
Phil will start the Virgin London Marathon and finish 26 hours
later at 1200 hrs on Monday 26th April. To continue
his intent and aim to inspire young people with disability,
deprived young people and to support injured service personnel,
he will walk each mile with a Support Walker between the
ages of 16 and 25 who will be nominated by each charity
and all whom will have received direct support from their
charity.
Phil has continued to enthuse and motivate
millions and last year received the Helen Rollason Award at the
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and the Pride of
Britain Fundraiser of the Year.
Phil says:
"My own personal journey over the past two years and the
relationships I have established with a number of charities,
young people with disabilities and their families, has increased
my knowledge and understanding of the challenges those living
with disability face daily. The outpouring of public
support, whilst serving to highlight the need to support our
injured, only scratches the surface of the wider support needed
to assist those that endure huge physical and mental challenges
within our country every day.
"My intent is to ask Young People
with Disabilities to join me in supporting my future plan to
build the British Inspiration Trust, and for their charities and
support groups to partner with me. To fully understand exactly
what young people need, I asked for representatives from 26
charities to join me as my official support walker as I complete
the 2010 Virgin London Marathon in 26 hours. My partnering
charities, all of which support young people with disabilities,
young deprived people or injured service personnel, will also be
invited to assist me with their knowledge in running the Centre.
"The aim is for all the charities
to use my 26 hour Marathon opportunity to raise awareness
and funds over 26 days, beginning the 1st of April and
ending the 26th of April. They have all agreed that this
26 day fundraising period will be their Main Effort for April.
The last 365 yards of the Virgin London Marathon will see all 26
young people from the charities joining me as we cross the
finish line together.
"There is a clear need to provide
inspiration and hope to young people. On completion of the
Marathon, I am concentrating my efforts on building a
multi-million pound, eco-friendly British Centre of Excellence.
The Centre, dynamic and unique, will be a conduit to enthuse and
inspire Young People with Disabilities, including our injured
service personnel, between the ages of 16 and 25. The
British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) will serve not only as a
hub of British Inspiration, but will provide a legacy for
generations of young people. I will build it by 2012.
"With increasing support from Young
People and Young People with Disabilities joining me in my
Quest, my intent is to gain the support of Government,
Businesses through their Corporate Social Responsibilities
strategies and the public to assist me in delivering a British
"Beacon of Inspiration" to improve Quality of Life. I will
launch BRIT later this year with the support of the National
Media."
"26", a unique Virgin London
Marathon opportunity, is Phil's next challenge and the start of
the pathway towards building BRIT.
For more information on Phil's
remarkable challenge, go to
www.philpacker.com
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Laura John's Story
 When
I was 4 years old, my father David died suddenly at work,
leaving my mother Julie looking after myself and my older sister
Danielle. My Dad was 32 and according to the coroner ‘perfectly
fit and healthy’. All my mother was told was that he had died of
heart failure but that there was no apparent reason for this.
Being only 4 years old, I didn’t quite understand how serious
this was, I assumed that it was just one of those things that
happen.
It
wasn’t until 2 years later when my mother was watching a
Panorama special about Sudden Death that the lives of me and my
sister were completely turned upside down. It turns out that
most forms of sudden death are hereditary. Around the same time
as this my Uncle had been diagnosed with
Long QT Syndrome and it
was decided that me and Danielle should be tested too.
It
took some time for this to actually happen, my mum had to fight
against the Health Authority for Danielle and I to be referred
to an expert
in London, but in the end we were tested and found to have Long
QT syndrome. We were introduced to CRY who could help my mother
with understanding about our condition and gave her the support
she needed. But for a six year old to understand was not easy.
The only thing I knew about this condition was that it had
killed my Dad.
What made it
worse was that on seeing a Cardiologist back in Southampton he
told my mum a whole load of things I wouldn’t be allowed to do.
I was terrified, Danielle was frustrated and Mum became over
protective. We managed but it was hard. There wasn’t anyone at
the time we could talk to who was going through the same thing.
Danielle began blacking out, and this only made it scarier.
When I was 10 I
had an ICD fitted and it was fantastic. It eased mum’s mind and
allowed me and Danielle to do more ‘normal things’ (That said,
now I tend to use my defib’ as an excuse to do more than perhaps
I should). It was a year or two after this that Danielle and I
became founder members of CRY’s Surgery Supporters Network.
Finally we had other people to talk to who were our age and
going through similar things. It was so comforting to know that
not only were there people I could turn to, but that others in
the future would be able to turn to me too.
When I talk to
people about having this condition, they always ask me the same
questions: ‘Doesn’t it scare you?’, ‘How did you change your
life to fit around it?’ etc. The answers have changed since I
was younger, but I’ve grown up with this, I don’t remember a
time when I was unaware of it. I would say that I don’t take
life for granted, but that I use my heart condition as an excuse
to do so much more than I should, simply because I can. I am so
indebted to CRY, not only for all the support they have given me
and my family, but because of all the opportunities they have
given me as well. I don’t know many other people who have been
able to
toss the coin at Wimbledon (in 2004, below)
am so proud to have been chosen to be Phil Packer’s support
walker for CRY for the “26” marathon challenge.
The whole thing
has been one huge adventure, and as scared as I was, it’s made
me who I am. I’m just looking forward to what I get to do
next…... |
“As
a Patron of Cardiac Risk in the Young I have had the humbling
opportunity to meet the remarkable young people who have been diagnosed
with a life threatening cardiac condition and also the many families who
have been affected through the tragedy of losing loved ones through
sudden cardiac death. CRY aims to prevent young sudden cardiac death and
more support to the charity will result in more screening to find heart
abnormalities which otherwise may go unnoticed. 
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