My Black Dog can Fly

Hi, my name is Deborah and I'm fundraising with an incredible, inspiring young lady Abi Evans, whom I was fortunate to meet on the Virgin Radio breakfast show.

I had won an auction place through the Personal Best Foundation that Vassos Alexander had donated. Abi was also invited on to the show and had been to the My Black Dog charity dinner. Her story hit the news when Sir Rod Stewart offered to pay for some pioneering treatments.

So who is Abi and what is her story.....

Abi was diagnosed with a rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in 2020 after a lifetime of pain and illness. At the time she was just 17 years old and the thought of living with a ‘disability’ seemed unimaginable. Within a couple of years, she went from a young girl who loved playing football and running around to a girl in a wheelchair and with a feeding tube (due to a paralysed stomach). After losing all hope of ever achieving her dream of becoming a pilot, Abi in 2022 applied to learn to fly with a charity called FLYING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE. The whole process changed her life and she is now working towards her Private Pilots License and is documenting the whole journey on her YouTube channel, in the hope that she can inspire others with struggles to “DO WHAT YOU CAN’T”.

As part of Abi’s goal to give back to the charity that changed her life, raising money in aid of FLYING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE is something she is very passionate about and every donation will help people like herself follow their dreams but also act as a catalyst for finding their inner strength to do more. The FSDP is celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year, awarding over 500 flying scholarships since it started in memory of Sir Douglas Bader and in partnership with the Royal International Air Tattoo back in 1983. Let's get some more people flying!

Abi is also very keen to help another charity which is important to her called My Black Dog, as they help people with mental health issues find a way of communicating their struggles online. All money raised for My Black Dog truly will save lives and enhance people’s lives just by giving them someone to chat too.

So moved was I by this incredibly positive person, who can no longer walk, run but can spread her wings and fly and longer feel disabled, I just had to help, with her parents Nikki and Colin's approval ofcourse.

I needed to set myself an epic challenge, something really unique and probably very hard!

I found out about the Race Across Scotland (RAS) a mere 215 miles, which must be completed in 100 hours. It sounded perfect, sadly it was closed for its 150 entrants cap until 2024. I then got contacted and 2 people had pulled out. If I could transfer, then I was in! Eeek!

I am now a late entrant to this RAS event, but couldn't be more excited, or determined to see what I can achieve.

My first Ultra was in 2016, a mere 53 miles across the South Downs and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, what I learnt about myself, the course, but most of all the support and camaraderie of the Ultra community was just amazing. So much different to any other races.

Since that baptism, I've completed another 4 ultras, but my furthest has only been 69 miles, so this will be on a totally different level! 

It was an amazing event that I needed though. Everything happens for a reason and it was meant to be!

Abi's is so brave and forward thinking when faced with her disabilities; she wants to help others and so do I.

If Abi can overcome her lifetime obstacles, then I'm sure I can manage a few miles and hills! She is my inspiration, the pilot I need to fly me through and together we can help someone else's life be better.

I hope you can help us too. X

Deborah Gilman

07768 137429