Aberdeen Solicitor Heading to London in Memory of his Late Grandad to Raise Money for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

The passing of Danny Anderson’s beloved Grandad, Bill Black, just before Christmas in 2022 left a deep impact on his family. The ‘lynchpin’ of the family suffered a stroke in his sleep and sadly passed away six days later.

Danny, 31, a solicitor for Aberdein Considine, said: “I had an extremely close relationship with my Granda. He was such a vibrant and active 86-year-old and his sudden passing was a big shock for all of us. Nothing was ever too much for Granda, even in his late 80s he had the work ethic of someone half his age. He truly was my hero and an inspiration to all those who met him.”

In the aftermath, Danny thought about doing something to create a positive from a negative and chose to challenge himself by signing up to the London Marathon for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. Despite having only run a 5km race previously and not being drawn to long-distance running, Danny views it as an opportunity to push himself.

He said: “I wanted to do something that would really test me, hence signing up for the Marathon. Thinking of my Granda has been my motivation throughout, especially during those dark and wet training sessions over winter. I’ve completed all my long runs and now I’m tapering down my mileage in preparation of the big day.”

As he juggles his training schedule with work, personal commitments and preparing for the birth of his first child (due one month after the marathon), Danny has found newfound appreciation for his weekends and the support from his loved ones.

He said: “I cannot thank my friends and family enough for the encouragement, donations and well wishes. I am very fortunate to have such a close support network, not only have they motivated me during this challenge, but they have also helped me reach my fundraising goal. I am also really grateful to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland for giving me the opportunity to take part in this challenge and raise funds for what is an incredibly worthwhile cause.”

With a community of supporters cheering him on, Danny is extremely grateful for the opportunity to honour his granda’s legacy in a meaningful way.

Anne Magarin, Community, Events and Corporate Fundraiser for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland said: “We wish Danny the very best ahead of his very challenging fundraiser.

“His story is very powerful and a great example of the determination we see from hundreds of fundraisers every year.

“The money raised will help us to support the 1 in 5 people across the country who are living with chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid to live their lives to the full.”