​Sharston resident and Percy the sheep flock together in fundraising marathon challenge

Sharston resident Chris Larkin will swap the streets of Manchester for the pavements of Paris on 12 April, when he tackles the Paris Marathon to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association.

Chris, 35, has previously run half marathons, but the Paris Marathon will be the first time he takes on the full 26.2 mile distance. Chris is running in memory of his grandmother, who had a fatal stroke 20 years ago, and to support the work of the Stroke Association, where Chris is the Regional Head of Operations in the North West.

Chris isn’t the only one taking on a challenge to raise much-needed funds for the Stroke Association. The North West team’s mascot Percy the sheep may be pint-sized, but he’s Chris’s biggest supporter. Percy has been taking on his own challenges to help raise money towards Chris’s £1,000 fundraising target.

To date, Percy has completed a 15k Resolution Run, make his own blackberry jam, baked purple éclairs and learnt the art of yoga, to name but a few of his challenges.

Chris said: “It’s been great having Percy on board to help out with the fundraising; it’s a fun way to bring attention to a serious condition. My Grandma had a stroke 20 years ago and sadly passed away. I was about 14 at the time, and it came completely out of the blue. I wasn’t prepared for just how much the stroke impacted me and my family.

“I'm running the Paris Marathon as a personal challenge but also to support a cause that of course means a lot to me. I feel very fortunate to work for the Stroke Association and believe passionately in the work being done to improve prevention and treatment of stroke, whilst providing support for stroke survivors and their families.”

Laura McMullin, Chris’s colleague and Regional Fundraiser at the Stroke Association has been keeping Chris motivated with weekly training plans and tips to help him stay on track.

Laura said: “Chris and Percy have made a brilliant fundraising team. The North West office has been hugely supportive of their accomplishments so far, and the whole team – including Percy – are wishing Chris the best of luck and look forward to hearing how he does on the day.

“There are around 152,000 strokes in the UK every year, so it’s vital that we have people raising money so we can help support even more stroke survivors and their families; together we can conquer stroke.”

It’s not too late to help Chris and Percy meet their fundraising goal. You can sponsor Chris at www.justgiving.com/CS-Larkin/ or challenge Percy at www.justgiving.com/challengepercy/