A stroke specialist based at Ninewells Hospital has completed a gruelling 150-mile run across Scotland.
Dr Alex Doney trampled through bogs, forded rivers and even battled against the remnants of a hurricane as he made his way from Oban to St Andrews.
The Dundee doctor, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, said the idea behind the mammoth challenge was to raise money to improve stroke care as well as use the Coast to Coast event to highlight the condition.
He set off shortly before gale force winds battered the country as a result of Hurricane Katia and he ran around 20 miles per day.
On Friday he reached the finish line in St Andrews but still had one last leg to complete. He then set off for Dundee, where he met some of his stroke survivor patients at Discovery Point.
A few of them joined him for a brief jog along Riverside Drive to bring the journey to an end at Ninewells Hospital an experience which the seasoned marathon runner said was very emotional.
”Those who were with me to run the last bit have been through much greater hard ship than me,” he said. ”It was good to reach the finish line in St Andrews but running the last part was quite special. The event really was for them.”
Dr Doney chose to run along author Brian Smailes’ Scottish Coast to Coast route and has raised around £3,000.BlistersHe dipped his toes in the sea at Oban on the morning of Saturday, September 10, and just six days later arrived in St Andrews.
Running day after day over varying terrain took a toll on Dr Doney’s body. Badly blistered feet and a toe nail close to peeling off are just some of side effects of the run.
Despite the pain, he remains modest about his achievement.
”I have just read on the BBC website about a man who ran across America, so that puts my run into perspective,” he joked.
During his awareness drive Dr Doney emphasised the FAST campaign, which provides guidance on stroke symptoms.
FAST stands for face, arm, speech and test, and is aimed at getting people to seek urgent medical treatment if they develop a weakness or numbness on one side of their face and/or arms, and have slurring of speech.
”I work with stroke patients every day at the Acute Stroke Unit in Ninewells and see on a first hand basis the devastating impact a stroke can have,” he finished.Dr Doney is still accepting donations at www.sponsor-me.org/alex_doney