A FATHER and daughter from York are putting their Wii Fit through its paces as they step up training for the London Marathon.

Like thousands of other runners, 20-year-old Katie McGregor and her dad, Ian, who live in Wilberfoss, just outside of York, plan to take part in the marathon in April.

But theirs is a rather special case as they are running the race in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign – a cause close to their hearts.

This is because Ian and Katie have at least 11 family members either with or who are carriers of Becker Muscular Dystrophy (MD) which is a genetic disorder that weakens the muscles that help the body move.

This includes Katie’s three older brothers, Jonathan, 32, Andrew 29 and Peter who is 27.

People with MD have incorrect or missing information in their genes, which prevents them from making the proteins they need for healthy muscles. Sufferers lose muscle function and become wheelchair bound.

There is no known cure for the condition.

Katie, a second year BA graphic design student at York College, has never run a marathon before and is daunted by the prospect of running 26 miles so soon with only three months to train up.

She said: “We decided to run for a Muscular Dystrophy charity because unfortunately it affects a large number of people in my family.

“We made the decision just before Christmas and we only got places because we applied to the charity’s golden ballot which is 105 places they hold in reserve. We had to tell them our story and we got through after that.

“To help us prepare we have bought a treadmill and have been doing plenty of workouts on the Wii Fit to get us in shape for the run.

“So far I have only raised about £12 and my dad has about £300 in pledges, but we’ve got a long way to go as we have got to raise at least £1,500 each to run.

“Any sponsorship would be greatly appreciated and all donations go to a very worthy cause.”

Both Ian and Katie have pledged to raise at least £1,500 each for the charity and now need all the help they can get raising the money.

They have each created Just Giving pages – www.justgiving.com/katiemcgregor and www.justgiving.com/ianmcgregor, and are looking for individuals and businesses to come forward and back their run.

Anyone who wants to make a donation can log on to their web pages and make a pledge.

The MD Campaign provides free care and support, funds research to find treatments and cures for MD and campaigns to bring about change and award grants towards the cost of equipment such as wheelchairs.


How the money could be used

* £16 – Gives parents one hour with a specialist physiotherapist so they can learn muscle-stretching techniques that will keep their children walking for longer.

* £50 – Funds an hour of a Muscular Dystrophy care advisers’ time – they provide vital care and support for babies children and adults with muscle disease.

* £250 – Will support the cost of a specially-adapted computer which means a child with Muscular Dystrophy can complete their school work on their own.

* £1,700 – will cover the cost of medical care staff for a whole week of the specialist muscle clinics.