“These are emotions that one day or another we all experience to a small or profound effect, I found myself for the first in this position and with a year full of changes in 2021 a big big part of my life was Neil Agius,” he explained.

“Neil has asked me for help at the end of 2020 with organising and being part of his next challenge which he still had not yet decided. Without hesitation, I jumped on board.”

“In July 2021 I stood beside him with over 20 other team members watching this man inspire me and millions of us to be better humans and care for our seas.”

Tabone Grech explained how after Neil’s grand accomplishment, he started to face even more challenges in his personal and working life. 

“So when it came to the start of this year I was unhealthy and unhappy, and I knew that something, in the long run, a goal not achievable at that moment, will be the only thing that can help me change things around.”

Tabone Grech explained how his girlfriend’s father is known to be a monumental fitness man, and so he began looking for a new challenge that he could take on.

The Berlin marathon is known to be one of the flattest challenges, one of the big five marathons. 

“So, I tried to find a spot, but everything was booked up and I received some advice to look into charities. The National Brain Appeal appealed to me immediately.”

The National Brain Appeal is known for funding research, both for neurological and neuromuscular conditions, and with Tabone Grech seeing close relatives suffering from similar conditions, he was inspired.

“I have witnessed my grandparents and some other elderly close people around me suffer from severe dementia; so I applied.”

“I was granted a spot on the marathon team and I started looking forward. The first few months were hard, old lazy habits are hard to kick. I start with small runs, lots of physical training every morning six times a week.”

Tabone Grech then booked his own personal trainer, who helped with diet, attitude, and training programs and he slowly began to see progress every single month.

“It wasn’t after six months of endless physical work could I really start to feel and see the difference. My attitude changed, work was better, and I found pleasure in the smallest of things.”

“I sacrificed, food, wine, which I now call food too, events, dinners, parties – everything which was part of my old lifestyle was cut down to the bare minimum.”

Tabone Grech is now seven weeks out, and at the start of September, he will begin tapering his training down to be at his absolute strongest to run the marathon.

“I have never been a runner but I am already looking at potentially doing my next marathon next April,” he expressed.

“Out of all of this, a total lifestyle change is what happened. A deep understanding of self-care has risen out of all of it, and it is now something that I will find hard to give up,” he said. 

In our fast-paced lives, self-care is often forgotten or placed at the very bottom of our to-do lists. Tabone Grech’s story is a perfect testament to the importance of self-care and making the necessary changes in order to be on the right track.

Anyone interested in supporting Tabone Grech can click on this fundraising link to donate to The National Brain Appeal!

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