This May, I’m walking 131 km to raise awareness for stroke

By Dean

This May, I’m walking 131 km to raise awareness for stroke.

Back in early 2016, my sister had a massive stroke and nearly died. Full credit to the team at Gold Coast University Hospital; they saved her life.

She’s still living with the impacts. She can’t use her left arm and leg properly, but she can walk, just. She’s got her speech, and she worked hard to get her driver’s licence back.

She’s one of the strongest people I know. The determination she’s shown is something I’ll always admire.

More recently, my best mate had a minor stroke. On the surface he looks okay, but he’s dealing with vertigo and ongoing pain. He was actually the one who told me about this walking challenge for Stroke Foundation, and I didn’t hesitate to jump in.

I’ve had my own health battles too. I beat cancer a few years ago, and now I’m managing heart disease linked to being obese. Over the past six months, I’ve lost nearly 50 kilos, and I feel better than I have in years.

Walking has become a big part of that. I’m doing around 5 km a day at the moment and hoping to build on that. Life has changed a lot, and I want to keep moving forward.

This walk is my way of giving back, raising awareness, and hopefully helping someone else along the way. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is not to keep looking back - we’re not going that way. Stay positive, keep moving forward, and focus on what’s ahead.

Thanks for reading my ramble, I just hope this small effort can make a difference.

I’m dedicating this blog to my sister, who I love dearly - and to my little turds who keep me on track (the pups).