
On Sunday 23rd April we were delighted to have a number of nsif champions taking part in the Virgin Money London Marathon, to raise awareness and funds for nsif backed research. The 26.3 mile course, which goes through the heart of London, is one of the world’s most renowned marathons.
That Sunday there were three people flying the nsif flag: Katrina Stevenson, Lloyd Williams and trustee Steven Smith. Each of the three have their own reason for taking on the challenge and supporting the charity.
Katrina Stevenson, and her husband John, have been long-time supporters of nsif. They first got involved after a dear friend of theirs suffered a spinal injury after diving into a pool on holiday. Sadly their friend passed away in 2015. Since then they have supported a number of nsif events. Katrina’s marathon efforts were impressive – at the time of writing she has raised close to £4,000*!
Lloyd Williams and his family have been avid nsif supporters for years, after his brother Arron suffered a spinal injury in a rugby game in 2007. Late last year, mum Yvonne launched a poetry anthology to raise money for nsif. Continuing the trend Lloyd ran an impressive marathon and raised over £700*.
We were proud to have nsif trustee Steven Smith complete the marathon for us. Steven, who suffered a spinal injury in 2011 after an armed robbery, was told he would never walk again. Despite this Steven made an incredible recovery and was able to regain movement and walk with a stick. Although Steven made an impressive recovery, he often suffers from complications relating to his injury.
Nevertheless, Steven showed immense courage and determination and walked the entire route, even with an ankle injury being aggravated. He completed the marathon in 9 hours and 17 minutes and has so far raised an enormous £61,000+*!
We want to congratulate Katrina, Lloyd and Steven for their amazing achievements and to all those who supported them. It means a huge amount to the charity. You are all helping to fuel the continuation of vital research into finding a cure for SCI – thank you!
*All totals do not include gift aid.