On 4 August 2012 stroke survivor Dan Englund will embark on a 1000km run to raise funds for and awareness of stroke prevention. This is his story.

Hello Everyone,

My name is Dan Englund. On May 16 last year I joined 60,000 other Australians in having a stroke. I am 39 years old and an avid runner for years. I had no known previous medical reason to have a stroke. After 3 days in the Wesley Hospital I was told that I had a hole in my heart since birth that allowed a blood clot to pass through and caused an ischemic stroke.

In my next few weeks of rehabilitation and surgery I was amazed how diligent and professional the staff at the Wesley and Cannossa Hospitals were in making sure that I not only recovered but excelled in my recovery. They taught me that if you put in the effort your rehabilitation will pay off.

I came home from Brisbane in July last year to once again do outpatient rehabilitation. I so badly wanted to run again, that the fear of not doing it became greater than the fear of what would happen if I did. I ran my first run in August and accomplished 6.5 km. I then decided what most of us survivors do, “To beat this stroke.”

I have come up with an idea to run from my home in Emerald, Qld to Brisbane. My family and I will leave on August 4 to run a 1000 km. The same distance I needed to travel for my treatment. I want to show everyone who has had a stroke that I am a proud survivor too. If you continue the fight the battle, it will be won. I would like to also tell everyone else I meet that a stroke is not for certain people. Anyone in the world is able to suffer just like us. I would like to educate the public on how to reduce their chance of getting a stroke and know the signs of someone who is having one.

With your personal, educational and financial help I would like to share “Our” stories to the country and the world. We will be launching the National Stroke Week celebrations at the Wesley Hospital on September 10 and would love for you all to meet me there. Let’s set stroke awareness on fire this year.

Yours truly, Dan Englund

To donate money and support Dan in his journey 1000 km journey visit his fundraising page:Dan Englund

The National Stroke Foundation recommends that you seek the advice of a healthcare professional before embarking on any strenuous exercise.