BROMSGROVE runner ‘Miles’ will be looking to live up to his name when he takes on this year’s London Marathon to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Reasearch UK.
Miles Wyatt, who is 30 and is a portfolio manager at AFH Wealth Management, Bromsgrove, has been inspired by his mum’s fight against dementia and has set himself a target of collecting £2,000.
His mum Jan, who is 70, lives in Bromsgrove with Miles’ brother as, because of her condition, she would not be able to live on her own.
She worked in the payroll department of a small Redditch flexible tubing firm in Redditch until she was 64.
She was diagnosed with dementia when she was 67 but Miles said she had shown signs of it since her early 60s.
He said: “My lovely mother is one of the hundreds of thousands suffering with dementia in the UK, with an element of her condition being Alzheimer’s disease.
“It is so difficult to put into words the profound impact this illness has on the lives of those suffering, and to those who have to watch their loved ones deteriorate whilst absorbing the many pressures and responsibilities that ensue as the illness takes its course.”
And he added with an ever-ageing population, the situation was only going to get worse.
“I also want to raise awareness about the age at which people can suffer with this illness.
“It is a misnomer that only the elderly suffer from the illness and it can affect people a lot earlier in life than people may believe.
“We have to be prepared for that and strive for a future where people do not begin to lose out on their future so harshly through early onset.”
Miles ran the Birmingham Half-Marathon in 2018 but this will be the first time he has ever taken on the full 26.2miles.
As part of his preparations, he has completed half-marathon distances in the past few weeks.
Miles, who has lived in Bromsgrove all his life apart from when he was at university in Sheffield, has so far had £685 pledged and is hoping people will give whatever they can.
He said: “I have had some great support from family and friends so far.
“I’m hopeful that I will reach my target.”
Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/miles4alzheimers to donate to his cause and boost his coffers further.
