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MEET BRADLEY MARLER

14 MARCH 2024

He is  a fundraising legend (like YOU ?) taking part in the 2024 Canberra MS Walk Run + Roll.

Taking on the MS Walk Run and Roll is no mean feat for most people but taking on two! That’s incredible dedication to the MS Community!

Bradley Marler has once again signed up for both the Canberra and Sydney MS Walk Run + Roll events in 2024.

Why does Brad do this? To support his daughter in her journey with MS.

I didn’t know much about MS before my daughter Holly was diagnosed, so I headed straight to the MS Plus website to learn about MS and what the diagnosis meant for her.

In 2021 Brad’s daughter Holly had an epileptic seizure at work and was rushed to hospital. Brad, and Holly’s doctor posed the same question “why would a fit young woman have an epileptic episode out of the blue?” This question led the specialist’s running a series of tests including multiple brain scans. Holly was initially diagnosed with epilepsy in August 2021. Further tests were conducted and in May 2022 Holly was diagnosed with MS.

Through exploring the MS Plus website, Holly found out about the different MS fundraisers and commenced training for the run event in Sydney. Brad jumped on board to support Holly in this pursuit. In 2023 Brad was the highest fundraising individual in the Canberra MS Walk Run + Roll.

Brad and Holly loved the 2023 MS Walk Run + Roll. Brad mentioned how much he enjoyed the true community feel at the events. On top of this, Brad’s experience is a very personal one.

It was a great way to show my support for Holly. She knows that I love and support her and would do anything for her. My fundraising efforts were not about being recognised as the top fundraiser. I did it for her, to show her support. She was blown away by the support once the fundraising got going. She could not understand why my friends and work colleagues that did not know her personally were being so generous when donating.

To all the fundraisers in the 2024 MS Walk Run + Roll Brad has some top tips to make sure you get to your fundraising goals, and so you can support people like his daughter in their journey with multiple sclerosis.

Start early, do not be afraid to start fundraising. It is not only about raising funds, but the more people you tell, the more people will know about MS and want to support it. 

My fundraising was from friends, family, and work colleagues. I was surprised by the amount that came through last year. It was great to see the amount of support. I also made personal donations to show how devoted to the cause I am.

Brad’s aim in 2024 is to complete two MS Walk Run + Roll events again and show even more support for his daughter!