An important post to raise awareness of a condition called Charcot Marie tooth disease. (CMT)
Blantyre man Thomas Henderson (pictured with family) has spent years working on raising awareness of this disease and has done various fundraising efforts to support the charity to help people suffering from this disease.
Thomas was competing today in an ironman competition in Barcelona to raise awareness. As a sufferer of the disease himself, Thomas is out to prove it doesn’t have to be limiting.
What is Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease?
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a genetic condition that damages the peripheral nerves that typically pass instruction between muscles and the brain. Damage to these nerves is called neuropathy and many people with CMT often suffer from muscle deterioration. There are over 100 variations of the disease, therefore figuring out the best way to manage CMT can be a huge challenge.
Since learning about his disease, Thomas has gone on to join the charity CMT UK as one of the board of Directors to help with its direction going forward. The charity sits close to Thomas as it leads the way to support those solely with the disease. It also continuously looks at projects in scientific research in development to find a cure.
Help along the way
Even though it will be Thomas himself who will be crossing the finish line come the completion of Ironman Barcelona, there has been plenty of team support behind the scenes on his journey to make it to this point.
Thomas is extremely vocal about the support from his family who have had to deal with his 10-15 hours+ of training a week over the last 18 months. His daughter Sienna was also diagnosed with CMT at a young age and this has been a huge factor in Thomas’s determination to complete his goal.
He also gives thanks to those coaching at G72Tri Club, Richard Ward and all the training partners who are around him, fuelling each other’s training through their motivation to help push one another.
Follow his journey on Twitter
CMT UK Charity – website
Good luck Thomas! We hope you smashed it today!
