Samantha Morris says “there is no finish line until there is a cure”

Samantha Morris

The death of her father prompted Samantha Morris to raise as much money as possible in his memory, and she is about to take on her 22nd marathon.

Raymond Morris sucummbed to Motor Neurone Disease in 2003, and Samantha says that having watched him suffer she wants to raise as much money as possible in the hope of finding a cure.

The determined Heywood woman has taken part in 21 marathons across the country, including the Manchester Marathon and the Edinburgh Marathon, raising thousands of pounds for Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), with the motto, 'there is no finish line until there is a cure'.

Samantha said: “It took me a long time to come to terms with the death of my dad. It was a horrific time, and for me running was a way of turning my grief into something productive.

“I started running and now it has become my way of still supporting him - 13 years have gone by and it still isn’t easy, but knowing I can raise money for him and for the charity keeps me going.”

Samantha’s most recent fundraising project is for the Greater Manchester Run on 22 May. So far she has raised over £700.

She added: “People have been really generous with their donations and I’m really grateful. Once I’ve done this I’m going to take part in two 24-hour-runs in June and July, they will be a real challenge but it’s worth it. It is a very important cause.”

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare neurological condition that causes the degeneration (deterioration and loss of function) of the motor system (the cells and nerves in the brain and spinal cord which control the muscles in our bodies). This results in weakness and wasting of the muscles.

To sponsor Samantha, visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/Samantha-Morris1942