Why I am fundraising for Parkinson's UK
In February 2024, I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's diagnosis at 44 (the average age for diagnosis is 69). Doh.
I since found out that exercise isn't just good for Parkinson's, it's essential. So I've been throwing everything at it: running, HIIT sessions, kickboxing, the gym. My daily Sinimet keeps me steady, but it's the endorphins and this new goal that keep me going.
Parkinson's has taken some things from me but it's also given me others. I've always dreamed of running the London Marathon, and I'll never be in better shape for it than I am now - so let's do it.
I'll have some extra challenges. My left hand now has its own little dance routine if I hold it in a traditional runner's pose, and my left foot usually decides it wants to go head left rather than straight ahead.
I'm running for Parkinson's UK because they're doing awesome work supporting people like me and funding research that could change everything. With 153,000 people living with Parkinson's in the UK, every pound raised makes a real difference.
So, whether you can spare the price of a coffee or a slap up fancy dinner, your support will drag me over the finish line and help Parkinson's UK continue their vital work.
My updates
Parkinson's makes me run funny
Tuesday 21st AprShare@parkypuns Parkinson's does make me run funny #parkinsons #londonmarathon
♬ original sound - Viral Music Hits
8 days to go - on your bike
Monday 20th AprShare@parkypuns I can't be the only London runner to think this. EIGHT DAYS till the actual London marathon - eek! Help me reach my target of £5k raised for Parkinson's UK - link to sponsor in bio etc
♬ original sound - charitychap
Pony poo based training update from the countryside
Thursday 26th FebShare@parkypuns Training run in the countryside! Donation link to support other people with Parkinson's in bio. #parkinsons #londonmarathon #countryside
♬ original sound - charitychap
Sofa-based training update
Thursday 29th JanShare@parkypuns London Marathon training...FROM MY SOFA?? Bit of a slow update this week. #londonmarathon2026 #parkinsons
♬ original sound - charitychap
Why your support matters to me
Tuesday 20th JanShare@parkypuns I'm running the London Marathon for and with Parkinson's! Here are the bad things your sponsorship will stop happening to me. #parkinsonsuk #parkinsons #londonmarathon #fundraising
♬ original sound - charitychap
Thank you to my sponsors
£212
Stan
£32.23
Zoe Walker
Good luck Matt.what a star
£53.32
Dino
Fly you beautiful, bald bastard x
£21.84
Louise Aves
Well done Matt! What a huge accomplishment. Hope you enjoy the day. X
£21.84
The Kennedys
Love it! Good luck tomorrow. Play it well. We will be cheering you on remotely.
£32.23
Tracy Carty
All the best Matt!!!
£50
The King Family
Keep up the amazing work. You will smash it! Look out for cousin Stef on the route too! Much love Chris, Philip and all the Kings!
£10
Lyndsey, Abs, Elijah & Oscar
Good luck Matt! Such an incredible thing to do! 👏👏👏
£20
Emily Sturdy
£32.23
Anneliese Cooper Blake
Good luck Matt
£53.32
Ruth Frendo
Best of luck tomorrow, Matt. And keep up with the Dad jokes anyway!
£53.32
Hayley Rawle
Good luck Matt weather forecast looks perfect, hope you enjoy the experience and have an amazing day!!
£11.33
Maria Thomas
All the best - you will smash this🌼
£100
Sarah Buckman
£21.84
Dani Hughes
Good luck for Sunday!!! Inspiring us all.
£20
Becky Steeden
Wishing you so much luck for Sunday, Matt - I'll be cheering you on from my sofa!
£500
Debby B
Best of luck Matt! My mum always cries watching the London marathon "because of all the inspiring people" - she ain't wrong!
£50
Beth Murray
Best of luck for an important cause close to my heart.
£11.33
Mark Goldsmith
Good Luck Matt
£20
Lucy Beaumont
Go Matt !!! Run like the wind xxx From all of us lot x
£10
Sonya Hayden
Go Matt!! Absolute legend xxx
£21.84
Tori
Best of luck for Sunday, Matt! Such an amazing thing to do!
£11.33
Jay Henderson
Best of luck, Matt!
£21.84
Jill Williams
Good Luck for Sunday Matt. I’m sure it will be a wonderful day and that you’ll enjoy the experience.
£37.47
Les Beech
All the best Matt
£106
William Joseph
Good luck Matt!!! Loads of love from all the team at WJ
£11.33
Martyn Croston
£21.84
Caroline Simpson
All the very best to you, Matt! Go get 'em :)
£20
Andy Conner
Good luck Matt! From Andy, Wendy and George X
£10
Amy Walton
Best of luck, Matt!
£21.36
Dave, Nicky, Ralph & Rex
Awesome work Matt. We will be cheering you on in spirit with every step 💪
£30
Adam Cormack
Good luck Matt!
£21.84
Marie Kruger
Go Matt GOOOOO!
£50
Rochelle
Wishing you much fun, flight, and full speedy recovery afterwards!
£30
Lizzy & Winks Wilson
Best of luck Matt - superb effort!
£16.56
Gosia Bowler
Good luck Matt. I admire your determination and sense of humor 😊
£11.33
Kerry Dearing
Good luck Matt, such an amazing thing to do!
£10
Lynne Peachey
Good luck Matt, very inspiring!
£16.56
Jenna Wills
I've never met you Matt, but I saw your video and read your fundraising page and I am in awe of you. Hopefully this donation will get you to target. All the best - go smash it!
£21.36
Evans Family
Good luck
£16.56
Kirsty Marrins
Good luck Matt! Go smash it!
£32.23
Oliver (4nr) & Family
As you paid for this, enjoy your expensive walk through London!! 😁 Awesome effort and best of luck to you!!
£15
Good Policy
Go Matt! 👏
£10
Kate O’connell
Go Matt, enjoy it!
£21.84
Annabel Jaram
Good luck Matt, you will be brilliant
£5
Anonymous
£11.09
Georgina Bushell
Loved your dad jokes content on LI so just had to sponsor you. Very best of luck on Sunday. Am sure you'll smash it xxx
£10
Rebecca Ellis
£21.84
Richard Berks
Good luck Matt!
£10
Holly Cameron
Good luck! X
£53.32
Paul Mckenzie
Good luck Mate!
£16.56
Beth Crackles
Jesus Christ, Matt! This is incredible. Wishing you all the luck and cheers and energy gels and drinks.
£10
Lucy And Rowan
Go Matt! What a brilliant thing to be doing.
£32.23
Rebecca Mcavoy
Go Matt!!!
£20
Mel, Oz Monty, Alice And Florence
Good Luck Matt!
£20
Emma Startup
Amazing- enjoy the experience and good luck!
£21.84
Amy And Eoin Cosgrave
Go Matt! Best of luck xx
£21.84
Mister Mister
Good luck for Sunday Matt XXXX
£26.20
Jon Sellars
Good luck Matt, amazing effort!! Me and Joshua will be looking out for you!
£10
Suveer & Nidhi
All the best in your first marathon Matt! Great cause!
£11.33
Jodie Moss
Good luck Matt 🏃♂️
£10
Sarah Snook
£20
Layla Bennett
Have an amazing day, great cause!
£21.84
Sarah
Hi Matt, I've just read your story having picked it up on LinkedIn this morning. My Dad was diagnosed at the 'average age' of 69, so I appreciate the great work that Parkinson's UK do. From one stranger to another, I wish you all the very best for Sunday and beyond.
£21.84
Stoo Gill
Whoop! Best of luck, Matt!
£42.79
Madeleine Sugden
Hope the joy of the crowd gives you a big power boost on the day.
£30
Ella Pierce
Go smash it Matt!
£52.12
Amy And Lee Gutcher
Good luck Matt!! Amazing 🤩- we’ll be cheering you on - much love from Amy, Lee, Jim and Ellen xxxx
£52.12
Alexandra
Dearest Matt - you are amazing and we are sending you all the energy and positive vibes for the race. Have an amazing day, may your blisters and chafing be small but your joy and endorphins be big! X
£16.56
Julia Billington
Amazing work Matt. Hope you have a great day next Sunday!
£106
Phoebe Collins
Enjoy!!
£106
Maureen Taggart
Matt: 4th attempt. Will Facebook message you or dad…to quibble! Gra. The two of us.
£53.32
Deirdre Madden
£20
Teresa Keown
Good luck Matt
£53.32
Eleanor Ebrahim
Good luck !
£21.84
Eimear Mceniff ((keown)
Best of luck Matt
£21.36
Rosie And Pat Mc Art
Well done Matt. A great cause.
£21.84
John Patton
At aghaidh leat
£21.84
Marian Mcc
Ádh mór ort!
£100
Anonymous
£900
Anonymous
£250
Laura Yeates
Lovely to bump into you this morning! Good luck and enjoy every single minute of it - it’s epic in every possible way.
£21.84
Cara, Rob And Bea
Well done Matt! Have fun on the day x
£50
Ollie & Christina
Go Matt, this is incredible!
£21.84
James Heywood
Inspirational as ever, Matt!
£106
Yvonne King
£21.84
Sarah May
Best of luck for the marathon Matt, but you’ve got me singing the Pink Pony Club song as “Pink Pony Poo”. I’ll look forward to following your progress on race day! X
£20
Ed Sutcliffe
From Ed, Yash and Amara! Best of luck with the training.
£53.32
Margaret Barkey
good luck Matt
£27.05
James Newton
Hope you smash it
£30
Fran And Gary And Penny And Maisie
Look after that knee, Matt. If my sister ends up running the London marathon I'll never hear the end of it.
£20
Jemima Gibbons
Great cause Matt - good luck!
£6.11
Tom Malone
£25
Cathy W
You can do it Matt! Sorry you've been feeling under the weather. Take care of yourself - you're amazing! X
£20
Ruben Comesana Fonseca
Well done bud! Super proud of you and what a great cause 💪🏽
£30
Julie
£30
Sarah Crowhurst
Amazing challenge, Matt!! Good luck - rather you than me!!
£21.84
Lucy Glover
Whoop 🙌 🏃♂️💪🥳
£28.31
The Sherjan’s
Get off the sofa - you have got this 😜
£53.32
Louise
Good luck Matt!
£32.23
Teresa Keown
Good luck Matt !
£30
Heather Taylor
Go Matt! Very impressive!
£20
Rosie Ferguson
Great video Matt. Giving to avoid the Matt-ban (and because you are awesome as always xxx)
£21.84
Tom Crowe
Good luck Matt!
£32.23
Mary Musselbrook
£53.32
Marie
Good luck Matt!
£20
Sam Magee
Best of luck Matt. Hope ‘Life is an egg’ by Cinzano is on the marathon training playlist….
£20
Lizzie Huang
Good luck Matt !
£32.23
Tracy Carty
Strength and support. Amazing challenge. X
£53.32
Fiona Donnelly
£15
Tori Jaffer
All the best Matt, can’t wait to see more of the journey!!!!
£11.33
Ellie Harte
Good luck Matt!
£21.84
Gemma Hampson
Kick boxing and marathons. Mad man! You’ll smash it x
£53.32
Amanda Neylon
Go you!
£100
Clive & Kate
£53.32
Lisa Clavering
You've always be a legend but this is something else. Run, Matty, run! Big love x
£20
Joe Freeman
Good luck Matt!
£11.33
Louisa Backway
£11.33
Samuel Davies
£11.33
Liam Nolan
£212
Hugh Buster Gleeb Collins
£11.33
Sadie Constable
Good luck Matt!
£21.84
Michael Carhart-harris
Good luck, Matt!
£32.23
Tim L
£106
Marie Friel
Massive respect from a semi lapsed runner, you are inspiring us all to get out an make a difference
£103.60
Tom Johnson
£31.51
Ella Hardy
Go Matt!! You are amazing!
£26.20
Catherine Raynor
Woo hooooooooo! So pleased you're making this happen! Good luck.
£11.33
Ben Kammerling
Good luck and happy running!
£21.84
Anneka Ruff
Amazing work Matt! Good luck with the training!
£21.84
Jh
£15
Jamie Atkins
Go get it, Matt!
£53.32
Sarah Gate
Good luck!
£20
Kirsty Mooney
HUGE well done for signing up and training for this! Absolutely amazing challenge. Well done Matt!
£21.84
Sophie Drouet
100 park runs AND a marathon on the horizon is impressive stuff Matt, good luck!
£20
Nikki Corney
Good luck Matt! You've got this!!
£21.84
Sarah Key
Go Matt! Please run a few steps with my grandmother Margaret in your heart. She lived with Parkinson's too and would so admire you and what you're doing, especially as a Londoner.
£265
Hugh Buster Gleeb Collins
£20
Ruman Hasan
You've got this Matt 💪🏽 Looking forward to cheering you on!
£21.84
Louise Friel
£21.84
Jemma Hewson
Matt, Happy Birthday, and smash this run. you are an inspiration! Jemma
£11.33
Liam Nolan
Hats off to you, Matt! Best of luck!
£106
Alexander King
£11.09
Teri Doubtfire
Looking forward to seeing you cross the finish line! You'll be grand 💪
£21.84
Ashley Goldstein
Happy birthday Matt!
£30
Ross Mcculloch
Best of luck Matt!!
£20
Jo H
Good on ya, lad!
£30
Fran, Gary, Penny And Maisie
You've got this!
£11.09
Nancy Scott
Best of luck Matt!
£20
Kate Phelps
Good luck Matt, you’re braver (madder?) than I am!
£10
David Lacey
Best of luck, Matt
Been too long since we've seen you guys. But best of luck today.