WHEN James Kempton suffered his stroke he was determined to come back fighting.

The dad-of-three lost all sensation in the right side of his body and his face dropped.

And without the quick thinking actions of his wife he may not have survived.

She realised what was happening and quickly dialled 999.

Now two years later James, pictured, is back on his feet and he is preparing to run 26.2 miles around some of the UK’s best known landmarks to help others with their recovery.

The 44-year-old from Lymington is preparing to run the London Marathon for charity, the Stroke Association on April 24.

James, a finance director, said: “I’m very lucky to have made a good recovery, though it’s been a hard journey for both me and my family, and something I still face on a daily basis.

“I’ve always loved running, and to complete the London Marathon has been on my post-stroke bucket list for the past two years. The whole experience has given me a new perspective on how precious life is and I want to do as much as I can to raise awareness of the condition.

“Training has been hard; I’ve never ran this far before, but I am finding it oddly compulsive as well as reasonably painful! My aching legs and sore knees keep trying to tell me I’ve seen better days, but I hope to convince them soon that it is actually fun!”

Around 152,000 people in the UK suffer a stroke each year so fundraising challenges like this are vital to the Stroke Assoication.

To donate to James’ fundraising appeal visit virginmoneygiving.com/jameskempton.

For more charity information about the charity visit stroke.org.uk.

Report by Sam Waddington