National Talking Newspapers and Magazines - Oooh la, la! Marathon runner raises £1,000

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Oooh la, la! Marathon runner raises £1,000

A young man from Tonbridge, Kent, has put his best foot forward to run the Paris Marathon and raise £1,000 for the charity National Talking Newspapers and Magazines (NTNM).

First- time marathon runner Donald Fraser completed the gruelling race this April in just three hours and 58 minutes. The 22-year-old geography graduate joined his university friend Stephen Barnett to run the course, which took in many of Paris’ most famous sites, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe.

Donald decided to fundraise for NTNM because his grandmother, eighty-two year-old Paula, regularly listens to several publications recorded by the Heathfield-based charity which provides more than 200 national newspaper and magazine titles in accessible formats for blind and partially sighted people.

“My grandmother became blind 10 years ago. She takes The Week, the Telegraph Digest and her all-time favourite magazine, Country Life, from NTNM. She very much appreciates this unique service and it has added a whole new dimension to her life,” explains Donald. “As a family we really appreciate what NTNM does, which is why I wanted to raise money for this very worthwhile cause.”

Describing the race, Donald says it was a fascinating, if novel, way to see Paris. “The first 20 miles were fine, but it was the last six that were the most challenging - I kept thinking will I make it to the finish line? My legs were a bit stiff afterwards, but somehow I managed to go to work the next day. I’d like to say a big thank you to my family and friends who really supported me and gave so generously.”

As for future races, Donald plans to keep on running but isn’t planning to do another marathon for a while.

“This is a fantastic achievement and we really appreciate Donald’s support. National Talking Newspapers and Magazines provides a lifeline to blind and partially sighted people by enabling them to keep in touch with the outside world, and their interest and hobbies and helping to reduce the isolation that sight loss can bring,” says NTNM’s Communications Manager, Cheryl Johnson.

If you would like to find out more about fundraising for NTNM, make a donation or know someone who could benefit from the service, just call 01435 866 102.

Marathon men: left to right: Stephen Barnett and Donald Fraser at the start of their marathon effort.

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TNAUK Registered charity number: 293656

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