Josh Rawson

Introducing our very first Strava fundraiser...

Josh Rawson knows all too well the devastating impact a brain injury can have on entire families. In 2015, when Josh was 23, his mother Michelle died from a ruptured aneurysm.

“It came as a complete shock that someone who shined so brightly could be gone so quickly with no notice,” said Josh.

“It was through researching what a brain aneurysm meant that I found Headway, who undergo the wholesome endeavour of supporting those with similar injuries or trauma to mum. I have ever since kept them on my radar and would love to continue supporting people in similar circumstances.”

With a keen admiration for outdoor walking and the continued Covid-19 lockdown having an impact on his mental health, Josh decided to take on a fundraising challenge for Headway, walking 100km over 30 days to support the charity. In the process, he became our first fundraiser to link his JustGiving page with the Strava app, a popular system that allows people to track their activity with a phone, smartwatch or fitness tracker.

Josh explained: “I loved the technology of this as I was able to have my totalled distance add up through my donation page instead of having to manually record it.

“It was rewarding to see analytics at the end of a walk such as your route, pace, and distance, along with the challenges the app offers you to join up with.

“The thought of being able to help people in a similar situation was also great for motivation, as it felt good being able to give back when options were limited in lockdown.

“I am extremely grateful and thankful for friends and family who have contributed to my donations page, as the final amount reached over double my original target!”

Asked what advice he would give to anyone thinking of starting a fundraising challenge, Josh said:

“Definitely initiate a challenge which is obtainable and can be broken down to a daily routine if possible. This stops it from being overwhelming and means that ‘catching up’ can be done if you are unable to contribute on some days.

Make sure it’s something you can have fun with if you’re doing it a lot - I caught up with a lot of music and podcasts, which I was very happy with!