A student at one of the world’s top-rated universities will be running in the London Landmarks Half Marathon this weekend!
Jonathan Williams is studying physics and chemistry at University College London which celebrates its bicentenary this year. He has never run competitively before but says he will give the race on Sunday (12th April) his best shot.
“Training for it has been quite painful difficult. I’ve already had to ease off a little bit from it a couple of times because of injury but now race day is almost here I’m massively determined to get to the finish line”, said Jonathan, whose knees are taking the brunt of his regular road-running practice.
He decided to join our 11-member squad because his girlfriend Darcy has had ME/CFS, which developed after she reacted badly to a covid vaccine some years ago. The couple, who are both 20, met while they were pupils at Sigma Sixth Form College in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
“She was hoping to take up a place at Cambridge before she became ill.”
“Following college, she secured a place at university to study chemical engineering, which I'm immensely proud of her for achieving. However, she does ultimately face inevitable challenges linked to her ME/CFS”
On his JustGiving page, Jonathan writes “I see the illness affects her in her everyday life in ways I couldn’t have even considered when I first met her”. He said Darcy’s symptoms include extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain, impaired vision and insomnia.
“The condition is under-recognised, under-researched and too often misunderstood, which is why charities like the ME Association are so important. They fund research, campaign for change and offer support to those living with ME and their families.”
Once he’s obtained his BSc, Jonathan hopes to stay on at UCL for a Masters.
If you would like to support his fundraising, please visit his online page below!
Jonathan's London Landmarks Half Marathon
Fundraising for ME Association
More Information:
Deciding whether to get a vaccination is a personal decision, and one that should be discussed with your GP. Please find some information about common vaccinations here:
You can also find the ME Association statement on Immunisations as Possible Triggers here.