On Sunday 4th November 2018, former footballer Don Shanks will be running the New York Marathon in support of Alzheimer’s.
At the sprightly age of 66, the decision to take on the 26-mile challenge has been made through a desire to help two very good causes. In addition to supporting his best mate Stan Bowles who is living with Alzheimer’s, Don is aiding Alzheimer’s Society in an effort to spread awareness and fund critical research.
Supporter’s will have the choice to donate to either of these causes via
www.gofundme.com/running-for-stan
www.gofundme.com/running-for-alzheimers-society
In a recent interview, Shanks said:
“My training is going well but running every day on my own is tedious. However, the thought of making a difference to these deserving causes drives me on and the more that fans engage with me on the social media pages the better I feel.
Stan is so special to me, and I know he is in the hearts of all fans. Not only those of QPR, who he graced so magnificently for many years, but also the footballing public as a whole. The harsh reality is that it won’t be long before Stan has to go into full-time care. His family are doing an incredible job for him but despite their best efforts, it just won’t be realistic for them to look after him at the family home for much longer.
I think we all have someone who we know either directly or indirectly that suffers from Alzheimer’s or Dementia whether it be early stages or full blown. And we have to raise awareness of this cruel disease and try to fund the necessary research to better understand its cause and what might be done to prevent it, or at the very least slow it down.
Many high-profile former players and managers have been diagnosed with the disease including Frank Worthington, John Charles, Bob Paisley, Ron Saunders and a number of the great 1966 World Cup winning team, but it can hit anyone in any walk of life. Using the football family to get the word out there and get some much-needed funding coming in can only benefit the cause.
Every donation received will make a difference and I am blessed to be fortunate to be fit enough to undergo the toughest test of my life at this time”.
Shanks has been in training for the past 3 months, investing an inordinate amount of time into developing his fitness for the challenge that lies ahead.
His training regime has been mapped out by personal trainer Juan Pablo Garcia Lopez, a fitness coach who has himself run marathons around the world. Shanks is also guided by Mike Gratton, winner of the 1983 London Marathon. Mike runs 2:09 Events through whom Don was able to get the much-coveted race entry ticket.
Shanks is also looking for sponsorship to assist his efforts and is being assisted by Colin Hale of Sports Funding Initiatives. To receive information on sponsorship potential, please contact Colin at colin@sport-funding.co.uk.
Don’s endeavour is supported by a number of former playing colleagues from his era including Tony Currie, Alan Hudson and rel="noopener noreferrer" John Gorman to name but rel="noopener noreferrer" three.
Twitter: @DonShanksQPR
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