Run for John

Who was John?

On 1 March 2022 my wife Clare's father John Raimondo joined us for a meal to celebrate our anniversary. During the meal I noticed that there was a hint of slurring in John’s speech. It was so subtle that even Clare didn’t notice that night, but she did pick up on it the following weekend at a family function. Less than 6 months later, Motor Neurone Disease had taken John, a true gentlemen and loving father and pop, from us.

The disease moved so dreadfully quickly, always one step ahead of whatever fight John could put up, and he fought hard. In the end, it robbed him of his movement, his words, his ability to eat and drink and ultimately his life. He was lucky enough to pass peacefully having had the chance to say goodbye to his 5 children and their families. As one relative said, John showed us how it is done.

MND needs to be fought, and that’s why we have started the “Run for John” fundraiser to raise money and support the crucial work of MNDSA.

What is the Run For John?

In April next year Clare and I am going to run the London Marathon to honour John’s memory and to raise funds to support the work of MND SA. We are certainly no athletes, but we understand now more than ever that any movement is a precious gift that can so easily be taken away, and so it should be celebrated as a precious thing, and used for good. A marathon has been described as one of the peak physical challenges, and we want to pit ourselves against the challenge to help others fighting a much more insidious one.

This fight is our “why” for the marathon, and every step we take in training and lead up events along the way is another round in the fight, and a chance to raise awareness of MND and hopefully inspire others to contribute to the cause. We have already paid for our participation in the race, so everything that we raise will go directly to MND SA.

Follow the journey on instagram @run_for_john