Taking on the London Marathon for Oxford Head Injury Services: Lee Vanstone

Lee first began working with us as the developer behind our website. Now, having secured a place in the marathon for the second time, he has chosen to use the opportunity to raise vital funds and awareness for Oxford Head Injury Services. As a local charity, it means so much to us to not only have an individual supporting us at such a significant event, but also a local business partner, Lee Vanstone Web Development, who actively supports and champions our work within the community.

By supporting Lee’s marathon challenge, you are helping Oxford Head Injury Services continue providing specialist support for people rebuilding their lives after brain injury. Every donation helps ensure individuals and families across Oxfordshire can access the support, community and rehabilitation they need.

Find out more about Lee’s story below. You can support him here and follow along with his training and fundraising journey on Instagram @leevanstone.

Why did you choose to support Oxford Head Injury Services?

I have seen how my friend Andy’s confidence has grown since he started receiving support from Oxford Head Injury Services. Through personal experience, I also understand the impact neurological conditions can have on the whole family, as well as individuals.

However, it wasn’t until I walked into the Centre for the first time that I really saw the impact of your work and understood the breadth of services. The support available for different ages and abilities is heart-warming. It gives people hope, enabling them to move forward and know someone is there to support them, not just for individuals but for carers too.

No one wants to lose their independence. People want to live as normal a life as they can. Being able to facilitate that is important.

The London Marathon is such a global event. It felt like an opportunity to raise awareness for a local charity that deserves to be talked about more. Even if it puts Oxford Head Injury Services in one person’s mind and it helps them one day, that makes it worthwhile.

How has training been so far?

Training has been going well. I’ve built up my mileage gradually and recently completed a half marathon as part of the preparation in 2 hours, 28 minutes. Consistency is key. There are weeks where it is great and weeks where it is harder, especially with the weather. But being able to look at the bigger picture, the progress I make over a month rather than day by day, is helpful.

What would you say to anyone considering a fundraising challenge to support a charity?

Running a marathon or any sort of challenge gives focus on what you’re working towards. Smaller charities benefit so much from awareness raising, and there is a strong sense of community in sharing a cause with others. Knowing that friends, family and the charity are supporting you throughout your journey and on the day, itself makes a big difference. You feel so supported. On more difficult training days, it helps to remember that you’re making an impact and are part of something bigger.

I’d also say, don’t worry about talking about your fundraising. The more you keep mentioning it, the more it stays in people’s minds. People do not get bored of hearing about it.

What would meeting your fundraising target mean to you?

I’m really grateful for the encouragement and donations from both my own network and the Oxford Head Injury Services community. Even people who don’t know me personally have chosen to support me, and that means a lot.

Reaching my target will give me extra drive and motivation during the race. Most importantly, it will mean I’ve helped raise awareness of how important Oxford Head Injury Services is.

Any advice to anyone thinking of running a marathon?

• Respect the distance.
• Increase your weekly mileage gradually, no more than 10% each week.
• Break long runs into smaller mental blocks so they feel more manageable.
• Don’t fixate too much on time – finishing is a massive achievement regardless of time.
• Practice with gels or other fuelling options from day one so you find out what works best for you.
• Start slower than you think you should on race day.

It’s easy to get carried away with the atmosphere on the day, but pacing yourself makes all the difference.

If you would like to support Lee’s London Marathon challenge, you can donate here. Every contribution helps more people access life-changing support after brain injury.

If Lee has inspired you and you’re interested in taking on your own fundraising challenge for Oxford Head Injury Services, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch to find out how you can get involved.