Mike Bladen-Blake is to take on the London Marathon in memory of his ‘incredibly inspiring’ younger brother, Adam, who lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and who passed away in July 2021. Adam, who was just 30 when he died, had used a wheelchair since the age of 10 and was a keen YouTuber.
Mike hosted a joy-filled, public fundraising event on 6 August in Ellesmere Port alongside his family in celebration of Adam’s life, and to remember their fun and determined brother. Mike, his mum, Donna, and sister Jodi aimed to raise money for MDUK, which ‘was close to Adam's heart.’.
“It was a fantastic night of all the things Adam loved, especially live music. We even finished up with a big firework finale,” said Mike, who hosted the evening alongside his sister, Jodi.
“It was an occasion where we could laugh, dance and sing together, and remember the incredible person Adam was. He would light up the room when he entered a family party or any event, so we wanted to pay tribute to that very aspect of Adam's personality which brought happiness to so many.”
Mike, 32-years-old, a musician and director of a live music entertainment agency, will also be tackling the London Marathon on Sunday 2 October. He said, “the run will be a huge challenge for me but losing our Adam suddenly and unexpectedly last year was so much tougher. He was an incredibly inspiring young man who taught me never to give up and to always face adversity with a cheeky smile and a determined look.”
“Back in 2013, I ran a marathon to fundraise for MDUK after Adam challenged me to it. It was so tough I vowed never to do it again. Adam and I would often joke about it, and he would make fun of me and challenge me to do another! So, taking on the London Marathon this October will be a fitting tribute to the fun-loving fighter that my brother was.”
Mike added, “I will be raising money for and boosting awareness of this incredible charity, which helped us as a family over the years to face the challenges met each day by such an illness.”
Kiera Santry, Challenge Events Manager at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said:
“We are incredibly grateful that Mike has chosen to organise an extra special event with his family and run the London Marathon as part of #TeamOrange to celebrate and honour Adam’s life and raise vital funds to support the work we do. We’ll be there on the day of the Marathon to cheer him on every step of the way”
You can support Mike’s fundraising efforts and read more about his story on his JustGiving page.
Inspired by Mike’s London Marathon efforts? You can join #TeamOrange for the 2023 London Marathon. Find out more, here.