Mark Rowley

I'm taking part in the Great North Run 2026

I joined #TeamStroke for the Great North Run 2026.

There are over 1.4 million stroke survivors in the UK, with 100,000 strokes happening in the UK each year. That's one stroke every five minutes.

No survivor should have to face life after stroke without stroke support, providing consistent, tailored help on the long journey to recovery. 

We work with the stroke community to ensure the very best care and support. We rely on your support to provide vital services, campaign for better stroke care and fund research into preventative and rehabilitative treatments.

Every person has their own story to tell, and this is my story about my survival and how I cherish every living minute living with the condition. Some signs are very obvious for some, the ability to walk is restricted or the ability to communicate effectively if at all.  Being 59 I thought I was too young, too fit for it to happen to me. I got up like I usually do for work and in an instance I lost the feeling on my right arm and I couldn't speak. A blood clot from my heart to my brain disabled my speech, I never knew how hard it was to learn to speak again. To this day I am not where I used to be in speaking terms, and with the 2 year anniversary upon me I still struggle.  But I am alive and I won't let what has happened to me stop me from living. The Stroke association supported me through this journey thankfully I owe them a great deal for what was my rehabilitation. Please consider contributing to this, often, silent cause because they need the funding to allow all of their excellent work in supporting people like you and me to continue.