Rheumatologist tackling the Great World Race (7 Marathons on 7 Continents in One Week) for Lupus UK and Sjogren’s UK

Hello. My name is Yuz. I am Associate Professor and Consultant Rheumatologist at University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom.

I have devoted my clinical care and research to improve the treatment and quality of life of people with two autoimmune conditions, a) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or "Lupus” and b) Sjogren disease (SjD).

SLE and SjD are conditions that affect about 1 in 2,000 people worldwide and predominantly women of childbearing age. SLE causes inflammation to the skin and the mucosa leading to various types of rash - some of which could be disfigurring, mouth ulcers and hair loss, as well as the joints leading to arthritis and disability.

While SjD most commonly causes inflammation to the salivary glands leading to severe dry eyes, dry mouth, dry vagina and marked swelling of the glands. People with SjD are at risk of developing lymphoma.

Both SLE and SjD also can affect various internal organs including the kidneys, the brain, the heart and the lungs leading to multi-organ failure and requirement of kidney dialysis.

Many people with SLE and SjD suffer from extreme fatigue too. Despite advances in therapy, management of people with these conditions is still not satisfactory. We certainly need to do more to understand these conditions better and discover new and effective therapies for our patients.

Therefore, I am running the Great World Race (7 Marathons on 7 Continents in One Week; 771) to raise funds for Lupus UK and Sjogren’s UK. These charitable organisations support people with SLE and SjD by offering Advice Line calls, organise education and fundraising events, publish local newsletters, set up local groups, and help fund research projects. Links to Lupus UK and Sjogren’s UK websites:

https://www.lupusuk.org.uk/

https://sjogrensuk.org/

Having only taking up running since late 2022 following a nasty ankle injury that required a major surgery, I have completed 12 marathons including the prestigious 6-Star Abbott World Marathon Majors (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York) and 2 Ultra Marathons.

I am taking on this challenge to further test my physical and mental resilience for my personal growth. This 771 race would be my biggest endurance challenge yet. I will run marathons in Antartica, Cape Town, Perth, Abu Dhabi, Faro, Cartagena, and Miami to complete this gruelling race and share once in a lifetime experience with 59 other runners. I will have to be disciplined while maintaining work-life-marathon training balance. I hope that I will inspire others that if you put your mind and dedication to something you desire, you can accomplish anything including the Great World Race!

You can track my training progress on my Instagram: @Yuz6Yusof

https://www.instagram.com/yuz6yusof?igsh=ODNmMncxajNyMDR6&utm_source=qr

Thank you very much for your generous donations and support x