Ben Derrick, 26, from Kings Cross, Islington, will run the Jungfrau Marathon in Switzerland on September 6, in homage to his childhood friend George Clarke, who sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) last year while holidaying in Greece.
George, also 26, was in a coma for two weeks and spent two and a half months in hospital recovering, undergoing regular physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
The collision also left George, who lives in Chelsea and previously worked in the venture building space utilising Generative AI, with a shattered left kneecap, which required a full knee reconstruction.
Ben’s Jungfrau Marathon endeavour will see him pushed to his limits as he takes on the 26.2 mile run while ascending 6,407 feet (1,953 m) through the Swiss Alps- the equivalent of one and a half times the size of the UK’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Ben’s epic fundraiser is not only a testament to the power of friendship but will support dozens of others across the UK affected by brain injury as he raises money for Headway – the brain injury association.
Headway works to improve life after brain injury by providing vital information and support services.
George, a Philosophy and Politics graduate who went on to complete his Master’s at Imperial College London, said: “As I came out of my coma and in the subsequent weeks, I experienced high levels of confusion around where I was and why I was there.
“I experience fatigue and had a tonic-clonic seizure, and now have to consider factors that many people with epilepsy manage day-to-day, such as heat, hydration, sleep, and other triggers.
“I’ve also noticed an impact on my short-term memory and how I handle stress or multiple tasks at once.”
Ben and George have known each other since they were eight years old and together they attended Northcote Lodge primary school, now called Broomwood School.
1. Ben (right) is taking on the Jungfrau Marathon in Switzerland in honour of George (left)
2. Ben (left) and George (right) have been childhood friends since age 8
“We discovered rock'n'roll together,” Ben said.
“We're both massive music fans, old school stuff like Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Rolling Stones, who we went to see together back in 2017.”
Recalling the day he found out about George’s accident, Ben said: “I got a text from one of George's friends from uni. At first, I thought it was quite peculiar, even a bit of a joke, but then I got through the whole message and realised that it's real.
“I bawled my eyes out. It was pretty tough because for the first day I thought George was dead.
“When he came out of the coma, it was very up and down as his recovery was assessed. One day it was ‘George is absolutely nailing it’, and the next we’d get a message saying, ‘guys hold your horses, he can't speak.’
“But miraculously, George came out the other side with all the humour, personality and mental brilliance he had before. He’s back living life - making sure he gives his body what it needs to continue its recovery – and with him he carries an added layer of stoicism that I, and many others, deeply admire.”
The Jungfrau Marathon- dubbed the most beautiful marathon in the world due to its picturesque location, as well as one of the hardest - will be Ben’s first marathon, with training seeing him run between 50 to 60kms a week.
Ben said: “I wanted to take on a challenge almost as a testament to what George has been going through. It still doesn't do it any justice, because what George battles with on a day-to-day basis is a far bigger challenge.
George (right) pictured with girlfriend, Lucy (left)
“George has always been very intelligent. It's been impressive watching him over the years when he dips his toe in something, whether it be philosophy or AI.
“People would say that we're very different, but I think that's why we're such good pals.”
Andrew Taylor, Head of Digital at Headway, said: “We’re hugely grateful to George and Ben for sharing their story with us and choosing to fundraise for Headway, to help us continue important frontline services like our free nurse-led helpline.
“Alongside a number of other exciting opportunities, George has started volunteering to help Headway UK make better use of AI in our work.
“By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, George’s expert input will help us to focus more time on our key role – to improve life after brain injury.”
You can donate to Ben’s marathon challenge here.
