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A man with Asperger Syndrome who works with children who have autism is limbering up to run the London Marathon this Sunday to raise money for disability charity, Scope.
Matthew Denton, 28, from Bierley, said he wanted to run the marathon to raise awareness of the condition as well as for his own self esteem and mental health.
He says running has given him what he describes as his ‘independence’ as he often relies on the support of others in his everyday life.
He feels a sense of freedom when he’s out training for the marathon. Matthew said he would recommend running as a kind of therapy, that has way more than just the obvious physical benefits.
He explained: “In 2007 I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism. My low academic ability, social awkwardness and unusual behaviour meant I found comfort in sports such as football and running.
“It was running which I took into adulthood as it gave me a way of releasing stress.
“At the beginning of 2016 I injured my back in an accident at work.
“I did some physio and soon was back on my feet and within 12 months was running again.
“In April 2017, I had to take some time off work due to some incidents which knocked my confidence. I started to doubt whether I could continue at work. So during a break, I used the running to recover mentally.
“In May last year I ran the Leeds Half Marathon while injured and raised a total of £705 for The National Autistic Society.
Read more at: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/16162927.Man_to_tackle_London_Marathon_to_raise_awareness_of_Asperger_Syndrome/
