Mark!

Life doesn't always deal out what we expect. It can be harsh at times. When you think you have life running along smoothly, suddenly something can come along out of the blue and be so devastating that it's hard to comprehend why.

That is what happened to my friend and swimming buddy Mark. Over the years of swimming together, our friendship has grown. We consulted each other  over which swimming events we should enter and usually ended up doing them together!

Last year we had entered the River Jubilee 10k swim, then we attempted to cross The Solent as part of a small team called The Bimbel Solent Swim. It didn't quite go according to plan, but we did do double the distance. So this year we were going to do it again, but properly!

His achievements are fantastic and his fitness probably helped to save his life. For on the 13th March 2016, Mark was getting ready to go for a training run ahead of his first triathlon when he suffered a stroke. He suffered a bleed to the right side of his brain and spent the next two and a half weeks in intensive care.

We all were praying for his recovery, unaware of how much damage the stroke may have caused. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was that Mark pulled through. He underwent brain surgery on the night of his stroke and the bleeding in his brain was stopped. He was kept in an induced coma for most of his time in the intensive care unit at Stoke University Hospital. An amazing team of highly professional staff looked after Mark and he was in the best Stroke Unit in the country. He was critical, but stable from that first night. But however he suffered further complications of temperature control and also a chest infection. Hence his long stay in the IC unit.

It was a great relief when Mark was moved to the Neuro Ward!

This blog aims to raise Stroke Awareness, also to raise funds for The Stroke Association.

The following photos were all taken prior to Marks Stroke, which he has affectionately called "Triathlon Tremble"!

 in Markeaton Park Lake with Radio Derby

Swimming The Solent...from Ryde, Isle of Wight to Stokes Bay on the mainland.

 Arriving at Stokes Bay, Gosport after swimming The Bimbel Solent Swim

 The team at Swim Britain, Blenheim Palace

 A 5k Swim at Eton Dorney

 Checking out The Thames on the bikes!

 The 10k River Jubilee Swim

 Showing off the medals after The River Jubilee 10k Swim

Mark had lost a significant amount of weight in recent years through diet and exercise, mainly swimming.