As an Altrincham player, Mark Maddox was known for his fully-committed defensive displays so it’s no surprise he’s meeting his biggest ever challenge head on.
The Robins legend was diagnosed with the terminal muscle-wasting Motor Neurone Disease two-and-a-half-years ago.
But far from feeling sorry for himself, the father of three, fondly known as ‘Mad Dog’, is on a crusade to raise awareness and show people what can be achieved.
Despite not being able to train the former Leigh Genesis and Formby manager shrugged off the advice of doctors to become the first person with MND to complete 26.2 miles of the London Marathon in April – his second in six months having already completed the same distance in Liverpool.
Since his diagnosis, Mark has raised more than £20,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
He’s jumped out of a plane at 15,000ft, played charity football matches, formed a band – Last of a Dying Breed – and writes an open and candid blog about the disease he fights so courageously.
As his joke goes, it’s less a case of Mark Maddox having MND but more MND has Mark Maddox, all of which meant he was an easy choice for the Special Achievement award at the 2013 Non-League Paper National Game Awards brought in association with Budweiser Club Futures at Fulham’s Craven Cottage on Wednesday.
“When I came to the Awards I had no idea I was winning anything so I am really shocked and humbled to have been recognised,” he said.
“The Non-League family have been really important to me, especially the people at Altrincham because without them I wouldn’t even be here today.
“When you are diagnosed everything is doom and gloom – and rightly so because obviously it’s terminal. But the sooner you get over that the better it becomes.
“Hopefully people with MND will look at me and say, ‘Well he’s had it two-and-a-half years – why can’t I do that?’ That’s what I’m trying to create.”
And Mark has no intention of slowing down, having already signed up for next year’s London Marathon.
“It might be a bit risky for a man in my position to commit to something 12 months away but it gives me something to aim for,” he added.
“I just want to keep raising money and awareness for MND and I want to show people that you can still do things despite the adversity.”
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Picture courtesy of The Non-League Paper, with thanks
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