Huge congratulations to our supporter Josh Briggs on completing not one, not two, but three serious challenges over four days to help raise awareness of meningitis and funds towards our ongoing work.
Josh, aged 34, from Harrogate, took on a half marathon, a turf games and the Three Peaks Challenge earlier this summer having experienced his six-week-old daughter being diagnosed with meningitis.
He told us: “I hate running. Anything longer than a football pitch is too far. I’ve never run further than 10km, so a half marathon felt completely unnecessary.
Dedicated and hardworking
“This was followed by a turf games cross fit challenge (a high-intensity fitness programme that combines weightlifting, gymnastics and cardiovascular endurance). Anyone who’s done cross fit knows you have to be extremely dedicated and hardworking to be absolutely bang average — which is exactly what I was aiming for.
“And then to finish it off tI took on the national Three Peaks Challenge inside 24 hours. Because once I’m tired, sore and broken why not climb the three biggest, most beautiful mountains in the UK, in the dark?”
But Josh conquered all his challenges and in the process raised a massive £3,780 for our ongoing work, smashing both his initial and revised fundraising targets.
Overwhelmed with the support, love and donations
“I’m so happy to have completed it and been overwhelmed with the support, love and donations from everybody,” he added.
“It’s safe to say I was struggling from beginning to end on the event. From 29 degrees on the half marathon, to snow and torrential rain on the mountains!”
Josh admitted though that it felt good to give back to a cause so close to his heart. And raising awareness felt useful and important too.
Josh undertook the challenge for his and partner Lucy’s daughter Camilla, who at just six weeks old showed them what real strength looks like.
Lives flipped on their head
“At the beginning of last year, our lives were flipped on their head,” he told us.
“Our youngest girl was just six weeks old when she fell ill. At first, it seemed like one of those things you expect with a newborn – maybe a bug, maybe a virus. We did what so many parents do: kept an eye on her, tried not to panic, tried not to be that over-worried parent.
“After a couple of days, something didn’t feel right, so we took her to hospital. What followed still feels blurry, but everything went from 0 to 100 crazily fast.
“Over the next two and a half weeks, Lucy and I lived through the most difficult, scary and powerless period of our lives, trying to stay strong while our tiny little girl fought for hers. There are no words that really do justice to how helpless that feels as a parent.
Never stop feeling miraculous
“Thankfully – and this will never stop feeling miraculous – she came out the other side like an absolute trooper. We don’t yet know the full extent of the impact the bacterial meningitis may have on her long term, but right now she is well, and we’re optimistic of a full recovery.
“I hope that one day she’ll laugh at just how much this experience shaped her mum and dad, while she stands there with no memory or evidence it ever happened!”
