Select a region
Among the thousands of runners lining up to take on this year's London Marathon will be a small family group of three, raising money for a charity very close to their hearts.
David Rowlinson, his daughter Jenny, and her boyfriend Jonny Meardon are jointly taking on the 26.2mile challenge tomorrow to raise funds for Myositis UK.
Mr Rowlinson was diagnosed with Inclusion Body Myositis, a progressive muscle wasting disease, mostly affecting legs and arms, 12 years ago.
Myositis affects around 6,000 people in the UK so is often described as "little known".
For Mr Rowlinson, it means he needs to use a wheelchair or mobility scooter to get around.
Pictured: From the Myositis Association website which can be accessed HERE.
To raise money for the charity which funds research into the condition, Mr Rowlinson is doing the London Marathon, using a special wheelchair.
His daughter and her partner will push him around the course.
Mr Rowlinson has paid tribute to the young couple, saying their fundraising efforts on Sunday are all down to them.
Using his Facebook page, Mr Rowlinson said he wanted to "express my sincere thanks for all the incredible donations we have received for our London Marathon efforts. The amount that has been raised is amazing and of course make it all worthwhile".
By Friday the trio had raised nearly £12,000 for Myositis UK.
Mr Rowlinson said every penny will be going to the charity to help with the ongoing research.
"Since being diagnosed with the condition in 2012 one of the things that I have found help get me through is the kindness, generosity, and willingness to help of so many people and these donations just go to prove my point," he wrote.
"I know Jenny and Jonny will give it everything as they already have in training and of course my thanks go to them, clearly without them none of this is possible.
"Also without my amazing wife Claire this would most certainly not be possible, as is true with virtually all aspects of my present life."
Anyone wishing to track Mr Rowlinson on his marathon challenge can use the official London Marathon website.
The trio's race numbers are:
David Rowlinson - 18709
Jenny Rowlinson - 18710
Jonny Meardon - 18711
Pictured (l-r): Claire, David, and Jenny Rowlinson and Jonny Meardon.
Neither Miss Rowlinson nor Mr Meardon have run a marathon before and nor had Mr Rowlinson - who previously told Express that he was "never, ever" a runner.
But, he also said, he was "surprised and thrilled" with the idea of taking part in the marathon, especially as his condition has continued to progress.
"You get used to being a certain way and then suddenly there's another progression and you have to readjust.
"It's been a slow acceptance, if you like and I think now I sort of have learned to live with it and learned to accept it.
"My acceptance level is much better now and I'm fortunate that I work from home, and therefore, I can carry on working."
Pictured: Jenny Rowlinson and Jonny Meardon training for the 2024 London Marathon.
Miss Rowlinson lives and works in the UK, so she and Mr Meardon have completed the majority of their training there.
They have been running with the specialised wheelchair that David will sit in for the race.
After this weekend, the specialised wheelchair will be brought back to Guernsey so the trio can take part in the Butterfield half in September.
Following that they intend to donate it to the Guernsey Sports Commission so other people can use it too.
Mr Rowlinson said it is a "running racing wheelchair designed for marathon running for one or two people to push it".
"With the help of Ravenscroft, who paid for it, we're going to do London, and then it's going to come over here and we're going to do the Guernsey Half Marathon in September, which will be great to see our friends and to raise some support for local charities. And then afterwards, it will be donated to the The Guernsey Sports Commission who will look after it and anyone in Guernsey who want to use it for any racing or social activities will be able to use it."
Anyone wanting to donate to the Rowlinson family's London Marathon fundraising for Myositis UK can do so HERE.
A separate fundraising page for the Guernsey half marathon will be set up in the summer.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.