'In 12 months my husband went from daily runs to a wheelchair. Now I'm running for him.'

Thanks to our brand partner, HBF

For Tina and Todd Ingraham, running was more than just a hobby, it was a way of life. Pounding the pavement was their chance to spend time together and connect with their community or catch up on their thoughts.

The couple met through running and travelled the world, participating in races together. However, last year, their lives took a devastating turn when Todd was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).

Within a year, Todd, a former canine police officer, went from being someone who ran 20km a day to needing a wheelchair to get by.

"Seeing him lose his ability to run, I felt extreme guilt even going for a run," Tina said.

Now, running has taken on a new meaning for Tina, as she prepares to take part in the Brooks Half Marathon as part of HBF Run for a Reason to raise money and awareness for MND. Tina will join the more than 37,000 participants as they take to the streets of Perth to support a cause close to their hearts.

For Tina, raising awareness about MND means everything. The progressive, degenerative disease has no cure and completely turned their lives upside down.

Todd's initial signs of MND were easily dismissed as muscle soreness.

"His first symptom was a tight calf and cramping in his calf," Tina recalled. But the couple chalked it up to his rigorous training.

However, things quickly progressed. Todd soon experienced a loss of power on his right side and began walking with a limp. By February, his foot had started to drop.

"We were running on a completely flat surface and he tripped and fell over and that was like a real 'Oh my goodness, something's really happening here'. Then we started booking appointments," Tina said.

The diagnosis process was lengthy and emotionally draining. It involved numerous tests to eliminate other potential causes.

"It was horrendous," Tina said. "There's not a single test that they do for motor neurone disease. It's a process of eliminating other diseases that could have mimics."

As doctors ruled out disease after disease, their hope began to waver. In the 12 months since his initial symptoms, Todd's mobility declined rapidly, progressing from a splint to a walking frame, then a walker and finally a wheelchair.

"As the disease takes over, you lose more control over your muscles," Tina said.

"His has been a very rapid progression. We were told last Easter that he's got one to five years. That was our prognosis."

"Todd's a very private person, so to have a really public, visible disease is just adding to the bucket of cruelness in all of this."

Adding to the complexity, Todd's MND is not genetic, which is less common.

It was also especially cruel as Todd's job as a canine officer, plus previous time served in the army and his rigorous exercise routine, required him to be supremely fit.

"I think this has been the really confronting thing for all of us but for many friends who know Todd in the running community, it doesn't discriminate."

Running, once a shared joy for the couple, became a reminder of what Todd had lost. At first, Tina didn't know how to approach it without him.

Image: Supplied.

"I couldn't breathe initially," she said. "I would almost have little mini panic attacks when I was out because I was just so heartbroken and distraught with what was happening."

But Todd's positive attitude pushed her forward. It's his refusal to let his diagnosis keep him down that inspired her to raise awareness and funds for the MND Association of Western Australia.

On Sunday, May 25, Tina will run 21.1km in the Brooks Half Marathon, using the HBF Run for a Reason to shed light on MND and support those affected by the devastating disease.

"Our life has completely been turned on its head," Tina said.

"This time last year I was still hoping he had a herniated disc that was causing this numbness… I was still so hopeful that there was something else and that Todd would be able to regain full power in his legs."

With Todd in the throes of his health battle, Tina knew it was time to put her legs to good use.

"Once we got over the initial shock of it all, people were like, 'Well, what can we do?'. And there's so little that actually can be done other than raise awareness.

"So, when Australia Day hit and Neale Daniher was named Australian of the Year and then entries opened for HBF [Run for a Reason], I knew I had to do it."

The fun run provides participants with a platform to raise vital awareness and funds for a charity close to their hearts. Between the CommBank 3km, Specsavers 12km and the Brooks Half Marathon, the day has a course for everyone. Whether you're aiming for a new personal best or taking to the course with friends, each course is jam-packed with entertainment to keep you motivated every step of the way.

Tina has smashed her initial fundraising goal, raising more than $29,000 — and she's not stopping there.

Her message is clear: "Having the choice to move your body every day is a privilege, so use it."

"You can't ever take your health for granted," she said.

While Tina feels like Todd has been robbed of decades of his life, she knows her husband has lived it to the fullest.

"He has taken on board every opportunity that's ever been presented to him in terms of sport, racing, travel, work… and he has not missed a thing. He hasn't waited for anything," she said.

And she's encouraging others to do the same by getting started and turning their steps into support. Even small actions, like talking about MND and learning more about it, can make a significant difference in raising awareness.

"Every conversation that people have about motor neuron, even if they haven't donated, is so important because there's so much they need to find out about it and that's only going to happen with awareness," Tina said.

Join Tina and thousands of others at HBF Run for a Reason on Sunday, May 25 and support a cause that matters to you. Register here. 

Feature Image: Supplied.

This year HBF Run for a Reason is all about your reason.

Choose a cause that inspires you, set your fundraising goal, and rally your supporters to join the journey. This is community spirit at its best and it's why HBF has been running this event for the WA community since 2010.

Get started today and turn your steps into support. Enter at hbfrun.com.au. We can't wait to see you at the start line on Sunday 25 May.