Leeds adventurer hopes to raise £2,000 for Meningitis UK after gruelling 100-mile Himalayan race
A gruelling five day race across the Himalayan mountain range is helping a super-fit Leeds adventurer to raise £2,000 in the fight against meningitis. Jonny Barrow, of Meanwood, trained for six months for the Himalayan 100 Stage Race to help raise funds for Meningitis UK and its Search 4 a Vaccine campaign.The 30-year-old decided to support the charity after two close friends lost their children to meningitis and his girlfriend suffered from the viral strain of the disease.
Jonny said: "I started running in university and last year I took part in the New York marathon but this time I wanted to go one step further.
"I have seen the impact meningitis can have on your life in so many ways and when you start fundraising, it just opens your eyes to how many people are affected by it."
The race, which took place at the beginning of November, involved 70 athletes running 100 miles over five days, with altitudes up to 13,000 ft.
Jonny, who works as a risk operations manager for the Bank of Scotland, said: "It was simply the most amazing and toughest experience I could have wished for. There was a great atmosphere with all the athletes and I even met two runners from my home town of Huddersfield!
"I knew I had trained hard and could not have prepared better, so I did all I could to keep the negative thoughts out of my head. With any kind of physical event 70 per cent of the battle is done with the mind."
However, Jonny initially suffered from altitude sickness and said: "My head started getting worse and I could see my heart popping out of my chest cavity, which started to worry me. I love a challenge and push myself to the physical limits but I knew I was in trouble."
He recovered and continued with the race, which included gradients of up to 50 per cent, to finish 15th overall. He said: "I've never felt such an amazing sense of emotion and euphoria; tears started running down my face."
He has currently raised £1,740 towards his target of £2,000 and sponsors have until Monday, December 24 to donate.
Jonny added: "I was so pleased and overwhelmed by everyone who has sponsored me so far. It makes all the hard work so worthwhile and any pain or stiffness completely forgotten."
The Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign was launched earlier this year to help raise £7million over the next seven years to fund vital research into developing a vaccine against Meningitis B - the most common form of meningitis in the UK. This accounts for almost 90 per cent of all cases and there is still no vaccine.
To support Jonny visit www.justgiving.com/jonnybarrow or for more information about Meningitis UK, or to support the charity's Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, call 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisUK.org.
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
