Shaun McGivern

“I have always been passionate about sport and have loved playing rugby, cricket, soccer, touch rugby, golf and skiing. I see that same passion beginning to develop in my two young boys and I look forward to watching them play sport and being active able bodied athletes throughout their lives. The thought of either myself or my boys not been able to do this or being confined to a wheel chair is an extremely scary thought. That being said I know that at the moment this is a reality for a number of families that have a loved one bravely enduring this battle on a daily basis.

One such family is that of my friend David Pretorius, whose daughter Holly was confined to a wheelchair after a horrific accident. I know it his dream and lifelong ambition is to see not just his daughter but people all over the world who are currently in wheelchairs be given the gift of being able to walk again. Imagine if it was yourself or one of your children or a loved one, what would you do to be able to give this gift of walking?

I know that I would try to move mountains and so thanks to David and the Catwalk Foundation I have been presented with a mountain to move in the form of completing the New York Marathon. I have never done a marathon before and as many of my friends and family know my first attempt at a half marathon ended with me in the medical tent passing in and out of consciousness. I am under no illusion that this is not something to be taken lightly. I am now running so that others can one day walk. I want to bring you along on this journey with me and together work towards finding a cure for spinal injuries but in order to do this we need to raise money and that is where I need your support. I need you to put yourself in the position of some of these families and think what you would give to see a loved one walk or have yourself walk again and then please donate that to assist me in finishing this race and to help find the cure to spinal research. I want to see David dance with Holly at her wedding and see other parents enjoy watching their children play sport where they have previously been in a wheelchair.

I care so much about this cause that I have convinced my sister Chantelle who lives in Canada and who is also a passionate sportswoman, to not only support me in this cause but to also run it alongside me in New York and to raise funds for Catwalk in doing so.

Please know that I will be doing everything I can to finish this race. Your support both emotionally and financially will be gratefully received and will never be forgotten. The money that you donate will make a difference.”