A man who suffered from eczema as a child is taking on a marathon to raise funds for Eczema Outreach Support.
Lewis Barrett from Bristol will tackle the 26.2 mile London Marathon in October and has chosen EOS and mental health charity Young Minds.
It is the first marathon for the 26-year-old who only entered after being spurred on by his brother Matthew.
Lewis said: “I do a bit of running but my brother takes it much more seriously and has been training hard for years. When the ballot for the London Marathon opened, he urged me to enter but I didn’t think I’d have a chance of a place.
“As it happens, I got a place and he didn’t! Which he was gutted about but he has been great with helping me with my training and will come to London on the race day to be there at the finishing line.” Both Lewis and Matthew (24) as well as sister Lara (30) all suffer from eczema and had a challenging time with the condition as children.
Lewis said: “I think people really misunderstand eczema and how awful it can be, I always thought it was ‘just eczema’ and to get on with it, but people don’t realise that it can be really painful and really affect your confidence. Luckily we had very supportive parents who would apply creams and teach us how to care for our skin.
“There was no Eczema Outreach Support when we were children, but I wish there was and the work they do is great.
“Eczema should be taken more seriously and not down played like it often is. It can be a lot more than a small patch of dry, itchy skin.”
Lewis is committed to a running plan and hopes to finish the London Marathon in a decent time to meet Matthew, Lara, mum Cheryll and dad Dave at the finishing line.
If you would like to sponsor Lewis, click here.
