Former Grecian running the event with wife Louise for great cause
Former Exeter City player Marcus Stewart is going to run the London marathon next month in order to raise money and awareness for charity Rett UK.
The 44-year-old striker, who is now assistant manager at Bristol Rovers, will be running through the capital on April 23, with his wife Louise.
They decided to take on the iconic 26.2-mile challenge last spring, but were stuck for a charity to raise awareness and money for until they went on holiday to Cyprus.
“Me and my wife (Louise) decided to run the London marathon early last year and we wanted to pick a charity that has gone under the radar a little bit,” explained Marcus.
“Then we went away on holiday to my mum’s place in Cyprus and we were chatting to one of the neighbours there, Bob, and he was saying that he had to fly back to England because his granddaughter had been taken ill.
“Then when we got back we found out it was Rett syndrome and that is what started it off really.”
As coincidence would have it Rett UK is also a charity that is very close to one of Marcus’ former teammates heart as Bertie Cozic, who got promoted with the former Ipswich Town frontman at St James Park in 2009, has a daughter that suffers from the condition.
Marcus says that only spurred on his desire to run for Rett UK as, having not known anything about the condition before, he says it is to highlight the condition to more people.
“That is it really,” said Marcus. “A lot of it is about raising awareness. Coming back of holiday last summer I had not heard of Rett syndrome before. Obviously now I know a lot about it, and my family does as well, but if we can make more people aware of the condition then that would great.
“We are also looking to raise money for the charity as well as we want to help them out as much as we can.”
Marcus has set a £6,000 target and is almost halfway there. He says he would be delighted if City fans could get behind his cause, especially with the close link the charity has with Bertie as well.
“It would be great if they could support the cause, especially as another ex-player (Bertie Cozic) of the team I was part of having a direct link with Rett syndrome,” he said. “I had great time at Exeter. I wouldn’t say I was the most popular player there, because there was a lot of young players coming through, but I really appreciated the fans’ support and I would really appreciate their help with raising money for this cause.
“I also wish at the club the very best in their promotion push this season.”
Rett syndrome is a rare neurological disorder resulting in severe mental and physical disability. It affects approximately one in 12,000 girls born each year and is a lifelong illness. With your help Rett UK makes the lives of those affected by this devastating disorder more bearable and gives them hope for the future.
A cure is a possibility but for over 3,000 families in the UK affected by Rett syndrome the daily challenges are a reality.
Marcus has asked for help from City fans in helping him reach their £6,000 target. You can donate towards this great cause and, click the link below: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Marcus-Louise
Stay up to date with the charity; follow them on Twitter @RettUk and Facebook facebook.comRettUK.