Nik aims to raise £££'s and outrun Rovers' Joanne

Meningitis Trust to benefit from Nik's marathon effort

The Supporters Trust is pleased to lend its support to City fan Nik Williams who is running in this year's London Marathon to raise money for the Meningitis Trust ... and to win local bragging rights in a duel with Rovers fan Joanne, running for Asthma UK.

We caught up with Nik and asked him how he's managed to end up running in this year's marathon. "Well, I first decided to do the London Marathon in 2006," he explains. "I was looking for a challenge and something to make my Mum proud, but that year my application didn't get past the ballot stage."

Undaunted, Nik set his sights on a race closer to home. "I decided to take part in the Bristol Half Marathon," he recalls. "This was to be my first ever 'running event' and I totally fell in love with the whole feeling of achievement."

Having got the running bug, he then applied again for the London Marathon in 2007. "But I once again failed to get a place. So for the second year running (excuse the pun!) I had to settle for the half marathon in Bristol. I managed to beat my goal time of 2 hrs and after finishing, made my best mate promise me that he would stop me applying again, as I found it such a fight to finish!"

But the pain and the blisters became a faded memory and Nik applied again late last year for the 2008 London Marathon. He takes up the story: "December 2007 came, and the postie delivered the annual "Sorry Mr. Williams, you have been unsuccessful" letter. Only this time I had to re-read it - I was in!" His first reaction, he adds, was along the lines of: Oh crikey, what I have I let myself in for!

Christmas 2007 came and went, and Nik began his training. It wasn't long before he decided that he ought to put all this effort to good use and raise some money for charity. It took him, he says "all of a nano second" to decide to raise funds for the The Meningitis Trust. Nik explains why: "On February 13th 1990, I was admitted to Ham Green Hospital with meningitis. Not that I knew at the time, but it was extremely touch and go for a few days. However, thanks to the fantastic care from everybody at Ham Green Hospital, I managed to pull through."

Now in 2008 Nik sees it has his chance to give whatever he can to the charity that funds research and care for families affected by meningitis. "Without this research, my Mum would have lost her son, so for that I am hugely grateful," he says. "I feel that it is my duty to give back as much as I can."

So now Nik is calling on friends, relatives, local companies and fellow City fans to dig deep to help him raise as much as possible. And just to add a bit of spice to it all, he has also challenged a Rovers fan to try to outdo him! "I approached The Bristol City Supporters Trust, asking members for ideas on fundraising," he explains. "And it was at a Supporters Trust meeting that the idea of racing a Rovers fan was cemented. The thinking behind it, was to, try and capture the imagination of City fans and thus hopefully to raise a few more pennies."

Through his own posts and help from others on the City fans forum, OTIB, sponsorhsip donations have steadily started to come in. Supporters Trust Chair Stuart Rogers also spoke to City Chief Executive Colin Sexstone, who agreed to supply Nik with a signed shirt, which he plans to auction on Ebay to raise further money for Meningitis Trust, and a signed City scarf, which he plans to wear as he runs the marathon.

The search for a willing rival from the blue side of town has now also been successfully completed. Nik has struck up a friendly rivalry with Joanne, who is running to raise money for Asthma UK. And the thought of losing his challenge to a gashead - and a girl at that! - is proving a major spur to him on his lonely training runs. "Whenever I feel like stopping, I picture the blue and white quarters beating me over the line, and from somewhere I get a second wind!" he explains.

Sponsor Nik today via his page at Justgiving.com ... and if you're feeling sorry for poor old Joanne - it's probably not her fault she's a gashead - you can contribute to her appeal, too, at her page on the same fundraising site.

Previous Page