Alan Jordan arranged a fun run/walk on Sunday 2nd October in memory of his nephew Ollie Marsden for friends and family to attend.
“My nephew Ollie Marsden died at the age of 21 in 2008, from ARVC. I’d wanted to arrange something since then to raise awareness of the condition that claimed Ollie’s life, but hadn’t been able to come up with something that seemed suitable.
I then contacted Derby County football club, as Ollie was a big fan, to see if I could have use of their stadium for the day to hold a fun run there. They seemed happy for it to go ahead so I put all the wheels in motion. We would run/walk/scooter 5 miles around the perimeter of the pitch.
To gain celebrity support I again contacted DCFC, knowing that defender Mark O’Brien had had heart surgery to correct a faulty valve. I asked that he turn up for the local paper photograph, which he happily obliged. He was lucky that his chosen profession insisted on a full medical, as he told us on the day that his heart would have given way within a year if he hadn’t had the surgery.
I feel the whole event was a fitting testament to Ollie with plenty of column inches devoted to it, and hopefully over £1,000 raised for vital screenings, which may well save someone’s life.”
Alan Jordan
