Hamza Riyadh

I'm taking part in the adidas Manchester Marathon 2027 as part of #TeamStroke

Hey I'm Hamza, I'm running the Manchester Marathon to raise money for the Stroke Association.

I've seen first-hand how devastating a stroke can be. Before I was born, my uncle suffered one and lived with severe disabilities for 25 years - a paralysed right arm. Yet every time I saw him (and I pretty much lived at his house at weekends for 5 years) he was smiling and joyful. He never let his disabilities change who he was and his character. 

I have so many random and wonderful memories like how it could be 30 degrees in summer and I was asleep, he turned the heater on and covered me with a blanket, because he wanted me to be comfortable. Also the time I skipped mosque and he caught me was quite funny 

In his last couple of years, repeated strokes rapidly deteriorated his health: going from a paralysed arm, to loss of vision (one of the main reasons I became interested with optometry and later chose it as my course) to being bedbound, and finally to being unresponsive. Looking back, I don't think I appreciated how lucky I was to have him until it was too late. It didn't really hit me until the funeral.

By taking on this challenge with Team Stroke, I'll be fundraising to provide tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year, fund vital scientific research, and campaign to secure the best care and support for everyone affected by stroke. I'm running for my uncle, and for everyone living with the effects of stroke.

I'd love to smash my £500 target and raise north of £1,000! Any donation, big or small, and any share means the world to me. Thank you!!!

Cheeky Strava plug (I talk to myself on it tho) - https://strava.app.link/zbvctQUot7b