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Back to Schooldays
Rowson's Comment
Around the Block
News in Brief
Stop the War
Mini-march
Lysistrata Day
Fringe Festival
Straight to the Point
Time to Finnish
Day in the Nick
Starting Over
Readers Letters
Herbal Cleansing
Local Music
Tripping Out
Tippling at the Tup
Property
Housing Matters
Very Testi
Art Happenings
Vietnamese Food
Entertainment
Gardening
Marathon Man
Surfing N16
Man in North Bank
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Former boxer Michael Watson faces one of the toughest events of
his life when he undertakes this year’s London Marathon on 13 April. Michael, a
regular lunch time habitue of the Blue Legume on Church Street, has taken up a challenge
from his neurosurgeon Dr Peter Hamlyn to complete the distance, and yet less than a few
years ago there was a fear that he would never walk again.
Michael has got
to know that doctor very well since he collapsed at the end of his world
super-middleweight contest against Chris Eubank at White Hart Lane on 21 September 1991.
Taken to hospital with a massive blood clot on his brain, he spent weeks in a coma and
many months in hospital, first at St Barts in the intensive care unit and then even longer
at the Homerton undergoing rehabilitation. He left hospital in a wheel chair unable to
walk, talk or do anything for himself. He was paralysed down his left side and had lost
half the function of his brain. It was only last year that he was able to walk more than a
few paces unaided.
Today he is a very different man. In a conversation about the Marathon his doctor issued a
challenge: ‘I’ll go round if you go round’, said Dr Hamlyn and, as Michael
had already done a lot of fund-raising work for the Brain and Spine Foundation, he replied
‘Why not?’. Dr Hamlyn is under no illusion as to the scale of Michael’s
task, but is confident his spirit will see him through. ‘It’ll be one of the
greatest physical achievements the marathon has ever seen’. said Dr Hamlyn.
‘Just walking a mile for him is a marathon.’
And so Michael has taken up the challenge to undertake a personal Mount Everest that will
take him at least six days at about 5 miles per day.
For each mile of this gruelling challenge, Michael will be joined by a large number of
celebrities, sportsmen and sportswomen. Actor Nick Moran and footballers Jodie Morris and
Jason Ewell have already signed up. Chris Eubank has also pledged his support and will
walk the final 2.5 miles with Michael to the finish line. Every day he spends time in the
gym and pounding the roads. For Michael this is a World Champion fight like none he has
ever faced before - but one he knows he will win, however long it takes.
Michael is keen to raise at least £100,000 for his charity and, like his many supporters,
the local area is not to be found wanting. The Blue Legume, The Auld Shillelagh, and N16
Magazine are sponsoring him. If you would like to support this Herculean challenge, sign a
sponsorship form at the Blue Legume; phone the Brain and Spine Foundation on 020 7793
5900; e-mail info@brainandspine.org.uk
or online: www.justgiving.com/?articleid=12047
You can follow his progress at www.n16mag.com/michaelwatson
