A Belfast man is gearing up to run the length of Ireland in just nine days, five years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Colin Goodman, 37, is also raising money to help stop MS, something he believes new developments show as possible and that researchers have in their sights.
Colin is running from Mizen Head in Cork to Malin Head in Donegal in nine days starting on July 31st - a staggering ultramarathon every single day!
Read more: Co Down grandmother on her positive outlook to life despite MS diagnosis
He was diagnosed with MS in 2017, after suffering from headaches and double vision and following several medical appointments and tests.
He said it was "a shock to the system" as he had always been fit and healthy.
MS is a progressive neurological condition - that means it affects your nerves. You get it when your immune system isn’t working properly.
Your immune system normally protects you by fighting off infection, but in MS it attacks your nerves by mistake. Your nerves control lots of different parts of your body. That’s why you can get MS symptoms in many parts of your body and also why everyone’s MS is different.
Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments and specialists can help manage the condition and its symptoms.
Colin noticed he had double vision in one of his eyes while playing football, and a series of hospital visits, followed by an assessment by a specialist, led to his diagnosis.
He previously told Belfast Live about his diagnosis and why he's taking on this mammoth challenge.
Colin said: "I was playing football and had double vision in one of my eyes. It was annoying me, so I went to the hospital. I went home then came back again, my eye was off the chart, I didn't know but I was having a flare up at that stage.
"You Google everything, so I asked the specialist if it could be MS, and they said 'well Colin, it has to start somewhere' which was a scary thing to hear! They said it could be optic neuritis. I walked out of hospital that day saying that's what it had to be, as everything else felt fine.
"At that time, the specialist did tell me it could be MS, but I didn't listen, and just kept telling myself it was optic neuritis. I was too fit and healthy and had the rest of my life ahead of me, it couldn't be MS.
"I got an appointment to see Gavin McDonnell in the City Hospital. He's a specialist in MS and he gives all his time to it, he goes above and beyond, he's incredible. I had changed my diet, changed my lifestyle, I was getting better sleep and feeling well.
"He told me I had a Vitamin D deficiency, and he told me that was quite normal for someone with MS. The scans came back and he told me I did have it. I don't know what he was expecting me to do or say."
Colin added: "In a short period of time I was diagnosed and agreeing to treatment. You have to keep trying stuff and seeing what works best for you, and that's the way I've ran my diagnosis.
"It was a bit of a shock to the system. Having Rachel, my wife, beside me was a great help. She would reassure me whenever I'd be worried. As long as you have someone to talk to, and someone to listen even when you talk the biggest load of nonsense.
"She was always there and always very positive, so I was lucky in that way, and my family have been very supportive too."
After doing a number of fundraising events over the years, dad-of-three Colin is now running the 354 miles between Mizen and Malin to raise funds for the MS Society.
He will be running through Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Westmeath, Longford, Fermanagh, Tyrone and up to Derry/Londonderry and into Donegal.
Colin said: “I’m always reading and hearing how people with MS can have a ‘normal life’ but I don’t want to limit myself to a ‘normal life’. I want to show people with MS can do even more, they can have an extraordinary life. I want to live an above and beyond life.”
He added: “I want to see how far I can push myself. I know there’s going to be a lot of pain in this challenge and stress on my body but I can do it. As well as the physical challenge I want to raise £10,000 for the MS Society with most of that going towards finding a cure for MS.
“I think MS research has the potential to make big strides soon and to make a massive difference to people’s lives in my lifetime”.
Colin has been overwhelmed by the support he has received to date ahead of his upcoming challenge: “It has been brilliant, I’ve had so many hotels and other people offering free accommodation while I’m running through.
“I’ve also had great support from my employer On Track Technicians and from Used Cars NI. The community response has been phenomenal too. It all really pushes me on.”
Colin will be vlogging the entire challenge on his Facebook page and you can donate to his fundraiser by clicking here.
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