KING’S LYNN: Truck boss on the front foot
Transport operations director at 'Ge-Be' in Acer Road, Jason Green will be walking 105 miles for Motor Neurone Disease. He will be walking from the firm's depot to the 'Palletforce' hub in Burton-upon-Trent.
A senior manager of a Lynn haulage firm is preparing to leave the driving seat behind and walk more than 100 miles in a friend’s memory.
Jason Green, operations director of Ge-Be Transport on the Saddlebow industrial estate, is planning to walk the equivalent of a marathon each day for four successive days in early May to raise vital funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Mr Green, who lives in West Winch, was inspired to take up the challenge by his friend, Paul Collins, who died in November 2011 after a six-year fight against the disease, and the support he had been given by the charity during his illness.
He said: “I knew when Paul passed away that I wanted to do something in his memory but I didn’t know what.
“It taught me a valuable lesson in life, and that was to get off my backside and do something that helps.”
Referring to the idea of the walk, he said he thought his friend would laugh if he knew what he was planning to do.
He added: “I just thought, ‘why not?’”
Mr Green plans to leave the Ge-Be depot on Saturday, May 4 to cover a total of 105 miles in four days – an average of 26.25 miles each day.
The finishing line, which he hopes to reach on May 7, will be the headquarters of Palletforce, which his company is a member of and makes regular deliveries to, in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
He admitted: “This will definitely be a challenge as I am certainly not a fitness fanatic.
“I’m more used to driving to the shop, which is about a mile away, than walking.
“But I have started training now, I’m walking to and from work and I’m planning on doing some long walks.”
Mr Green is aiming to raise around £1,500 for his chosen charity.
Anyone who wants to donate can do so at his Just Giving page – www.justgiving.com/jason-green1
What is motor neurone disease?
Motor neurone disease is the name given to a group of degenerative conditions which destroys the nerves responsible for communicating messages from the brain to the muscles.
What happens to patients?
Eventually, nearly all muscles become paralysed and a patient is left unable to move. It can also affect the muscles required to talk, swallow and breathe. Patients may end up unable to communicate or eat a normal diet and can often require a machine to help them to breathe. However, mental capacity is not often affected, so patients are usually aware of their deteriorating condition.
How many people are affected by the condition?
Around 5,000 people are thought to be affected by the disease in the UK at any one time. There is no known cure.
What is the life expectancy of a patient?
Most patients are expected to die within three to five years of diagnosis.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Saturday 18 May 2013
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Temperature: 7 C to 14 C
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