Around eight years ago I was out on my motorbike with a group of friends. A group of riders was coming the other way and I didn’t see them. I crashed into them head on and was knocked unconscious.  

I don’t remember what happened, but my friends and the other riders phoned an ambulance. The ambulance crew talked them through what to do to keep me alive. I’d suffered a brain hemorrhage and if the crew hadn’t been able to help my friends administer first aid I would have died.  

This is why I wanted to support St John Ambulance at the London Marathon. I’ve experienced first hand how first aid saves lives and I wanted to support a charity that teaches people how to provide lifesaving first aid treatment.  

I first applied to do the London Marathon in 2020, but it was cancelled, so I’ve been training on and off for two years. I’ve never done a marathon before, or any kind of race, but I’m excited to throw myself in at the deep end and run. My goal is to raise £2000 for St John.  

I’m still riding motorbikes, luckily as I don’t remember the incident it hasn’t put me off riding. I really enjoyed the training for the Marathon, but at the moment I think I’m happy to just do the one. Ask me afterwards, maybe I’ll change my mind! 

Luke is an accountant from Colchester. He’s running the London Marathon for the first time on Sunday 3 October to raise money for St John.  

If you’d like to support St John Ambulance by running the London Marathon in 2022, you can find out more here: www.sja.org.uk/run-the-tcs-london-marathon