Graham Collinson hates running. In 2005 he attempted his first Great North Run, finishing in 2:24:04. 2010 will see him attempt his fifth consecutive Great North Run. He’s competed against his 3 brothers. He’s run alone. But this year will be a whole lot harder than ever before.
Graham usually relies heavily on his wife’s support on race weekend, but this year she won’t be with him in Newcastle. She’ll be at home in South Wales preparing for the birth of their first child, who is due on September 28th.
So why is Graham taking the risk of missing the birth of his first child? Well, he’s heavily involved with a small but very special charity who need his help. SKRUM (Swaziland Kids RUgby Mission) is changing the lives of thousands of Swazi children. Swaziland in Southern Africa may be the same size as Wales, but the children there lead very different lives to the one his unborn child can expect. Swazi children have a life expectancy of just 32 years. 42% of the 958,000 population is known to be infected with HIV/AIDS. 160,000 children have been left orphaned or vulnerable. Education is the key to giving these children a chance to change their future, by giving them information and choices. SKRUM uses rugby to take the education to the children. The challenge is huge, but SKRUM is equally determined to give every child the opportunity to live.
In 2010 Graham, his brother Matthew and colleague Angela Danby will be running the Great North Run for SKRUM. Every penny raised will go to Swaziland to continue SKRUM’s vital work. Every penny will spur Graham on to run the next step and the next. And should his baby arrive while he’s running, at least he’ll know that his efforts on September 19th will benefit many many more children.
To support Graham, go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/grahamcollinsongnr2010. To find out more about SKRUM, please visit www.skrum.org