BIG FELLA'S Fundraising Page

Forget the 6km walk, the BIG FELLAS going for the 12km event

Jennian Homes – consistently New Zealand’s most awarded, recognised and preferred new home builder.

Proudly supporting Go Red for women

Even in the rain .. training continues

I wish I had a really cool story about being such a highly trained athlete who decided that running this 2009 City 2 Surf in a time under 30minutes was so easy that as a cool down after the race, I would be running back to town for my car.

But I don't have a story like that.

Instead, my story is that I sit most days in the office, working hard but never getting enough exercise. Forget the credit crisis, I'm having a mid-life crisis. I have decided to set a few goals this year, one of them being to take part in the Christchurch City 2 Surf event. Not the 6km event, but to push out for the 12km distance, and the training has started.

Each day 16 New Zealanders die as a result of coronary heart disease. That's one person every 90 minutes. And many of these deaths are premature and preventable.

Cardiovascular disease (heart, stroke & blood vessel disease) is the single leading cause of death in New Zealand. It causes 40 percent of all deaths annually in our country - making it more deadly than all forms of cancer.

The nature of who is affected by it is changing. New research shows that young adults in their 20s and 30s are being admitted to hospital for heart attacks more than ever before, and that this age group is dying at a faster rate than people of the same age in previous generations. Much of this change is due to unhealthy lifestyles - poor eating habits, lack of physical activity and being a smoker.

But the good news is that many risk factors for heart disease are preventable, if people make healthy lifestyle choices.

So, help me as I join the race to beat heart disease.

I've signed up as a Heart Racer to raise money to support The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand. By donating through my webpage you will be helping the Heart Foundation continue its vital work in research, cardiac rehabilitation, education programmes and resources.

I'll do all the hard work (train for and complete the event), but I really need you to make a difference to the hearts of New Zealanders.

So, please could you sponsor me?

For this event I have set myself a couple of goals. Firstly to achieve a PB (personal best for all you non fitness freaks) for the event. This should be achievable, as I have never entered before. Secondly I though raising $1 per meter travelled was also a great goal, until the maths kicked in and I realised this meant raising $12,000. Oh well, why not give it a go.

So, please could you sponsor me?

Select the "Make a donation" button below. It’s simple, fast and totally secure and the money goes directly to the Heart Foundation’s bank account.

If you live in New Zealand your donation is tax deductible and a receipt will be issued.

So please help me today! And pass it on to your family and friends!

Many thanks for your support