Cambridge worker eyes 33 marathons in eight months for 'inspirational' mum
Martin Lively is taking on the challenge for his mum Carol who's living with multiple sclerosis
A Cambridge recruitment worker whose mum has multiple sclerosis (MS) has told us taking on 33 marathons is something he must do.
Martin Lively is three months into his challenge to raise £10,000 for the MS Society, where he aims to complete around 130 kilometres a month to reach 888 miles by the end of this year.
His mum Carol's been living with MS - a brain and spinal cord condition which can cause problems including vision - for around 20 years.
"I felt like I had to do something"
Martin is not a keen runner but knows he has to do something to help:
"My mum has suffered with MS for as long as I can remember, and she gets on with it every day, so if I have the ability to run, alright I might moan about it, but I felt like I had to try and do something," he said.
"Hopefully it gives her a little bit of hope that something can be done; there's no cure at the minute, but I'm not going to stop until I've done absolutely everything in my power."
"She's an inspiration"
Martin said he's "effectively running the length of the UK from Cornwall to the top of Scotland" to raise awareness of the condition.
To complete the distance, he's running around his hometown of Newmarket and praised his mum's mentality for her approach to life.
"To see her struggle but put on such a brave face to try and protect you from it, she's an inspiration because she's got that typical old school mentality of 'don't worry about me, I'll be alright," Martin added.
"If you think you're having a bad day because someone's not been very nice to you, that's a whole other world than somebody having a great day because they were able to have a shower.
"It gives you some perspective as to actually, I've got a lot to be grateful for."