Emica had not long started secondary school and was just like any other 11 year old girl, but on the 25th November whilst on her way home from school, she was hit by a car. 

She was less than 30 seconds from her home.

Her injuries were so severe she lost consciousness at the side of the road and remained in a coma for 3 weeks, until she passed on the 11th December surrounded by her family and the amazing staff at the Bristol Children's hospital. 

Emica's mum, Holly and I met on the online baby forum Babycenter. We had both not long found out we were expecting our firsts and they both had the same due date, we instantly became friends, and have remained friends ever since. 

Our baby's were born only a few days apart, and when I learned of Emica's accident it shook me to the core. This was not only because Emica and my son Seb were the same age, but because when I was 11 years old, myself and 2 others were hit by a car just outside our school on a cold winter night, just as Emica was.

Thankfully, we're all here to tell the tale (albeit with some lasting scars) but Emica was not so fortunate.

On the 1st January I decided I would do something radical to honour Emica. I have pledged that over the course of the next 365 days I will complete a minimum of 250,000 bike or rower metres a month as well as 50 burpees every day!  That's a total of 18,250 burpees and 3 million metres by the end of 2022.

Why burpees?

For anyone that knows what a burpee is, they will already know how much as a single movement they are hated. For anyone that doesn't know what a burpee is, imagine being physically exhausted and throwing yourself on the ground only to have to pick yourself up again to throw yourself down again, and again, and again. 

I chose this movement to replicate what grief can do to a person. They require you to stand tall after being at your lowest point, against all the mental and physical struggles. 

The bike and rower metres will be conducted on our Concept2 BikeErg or RowErg machines and all metres will be logged on the Concept2 website and can be verified. 

Thank you so much for reading this far, below is come information on what The Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal do

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