I learned a lot in the past year. I learned about my body, my strengths and weakness, my physical abilities and limitations. I learned about my mind and the power it has to affect my body. In occasions I was let down by my own thoughts but most of the time my thoughts were the only reason my legs kept going.

I learned that sometimes you need to put yourself out there, that to achieve some goals you need to expose yourself, and this was by far the hardest part. People who know me well know that if there were automatic donations for my marathons I would have run them quietly. But there is no free lunch and after all, alongside the donations, I wanted to promote the awesome work done by Can Too in raising funds for cancer research.

It was never my intention to inspire anyone but, if I am to believe in Facebook posts, apparently I did. What people may not know is that they inspired me. I lost count of the times when the message “Andre someone has donated to your Can Too fundraising!” blinked on my phone and tears came to my eyes. Throughout the year, especially on the nights before the marathons, I would read and reread over and over again the messages left in my fundraising page and there was not a single occasion where I didn’t shed a tear.

You inspired me with your donations, you inspired me when you ran by my side, you inspired me when you left me a message, you inspired me when you clapped your hands by the side of the road, and you inspired me with your stories. So, the most important lesson, or actually a reminder, is that there are many, many amazing and generous people out there to support you. I’m so thankful for what you helped me achieve. Couldn’t have done without you. These people deserve this “Thank you” post, you deserve this “Thank you” post.

Donation thermometer on 20/05/16!