A BUSINESSMAN who used exercise to cope with 29 lifesaving brain operations is looking for 10 committed people to train with him.
Simon Lannon, 29, is jogging the length of the UK to raise money for the Liverpool hospital which saved his life.
He is now launching Simon Lannon’s Perfect 10, to give other people the opportunity to get fit and change their lives as he did.
He wants to raise £60,000 for The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust where he has been cared for since he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a birth defect which means fluid does not drain from his brain.
Mr Lannon, who is MD of an architectural design and development company, plans to jog the 875 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats in April.
He is now giving 10 people the opportunity to train with him for 12 weeks, starting in February, at Executive Fitness on The Old Haymarket in central Liverpool.
He said: “99% need not apply for this challenge. It will be very tough and I want people who will be committed to the group.
‘‘However, I want to help people who have struggled with exercise in the past.” Mr Lannon, who lives in Liverpool city centre, is embarking on the challenge after completing a triathlon in May which raised £4,000.
The Daily Post reported in March how he was aiming to raise £60,000 for the hospital and the long-distance run is the next chapter in this aim.
Mr Lannon said: “I use exercise to deal with my condition, which is now controlled. However, the doctors say it still is a life-threatening condition.
“I’ve got headaches every day. I call them good days, bad days and medium days. On a good day, I can get up and it fades away. On a bad day, I can’t really do anything.
“There are two things that give me an advantage. My body is very good at recovering quickly when I exercise due to all the operations I have had and, because of all the surgery, my brain has this fantastic mechanism where I can block out pain so that I can run the distances.
“Other people can change their lives with exercise; it is not just a physical thing but has mental and psychological benefits.”
To apply for a place in Simon’s Perfect 10 project, which will involve training around three-four times a week, along with excursions and other activities, email perfect10@simonlannon.com
lizawilliams
