18
Health
Friday 2nd March 2018
Zoe Ball set to cycle 300 miles over 5 days in Sport Relief challenge Zoe Ball will be taking the Hardest Road Home for Sport Relief this year, as she's planned a gruelling five day cycling challenge. Her BT Sport Relief Challenge will see her set off from her birthplace of Blackpool to pedal over 300 miles south in just five days – aiming to reach her hometown of Brighton. Novice cyclist Zoe will set off on 5 March and be joined by friends and family to help her through the tough miles, before she reaches Brighton on 9 March. The presenter will be raising money to support vulnerable people to live healthier lives and is also trying to raise awareness of mental health. "I've been training my heart out for the last few weeks in preparation for this epic BTsponsored challenge for Sport Relief," Zoe said. "A few predictable and embarrassing falls and lots of chafing cream applied but
thinking of the reason I signed up for this challenging adventure will spur me on. "Knowing that every penny we raise will make such a difference to so many different people's lives is a great feeling.
"I'll also be joined by my incredible family and friends, who will be pushing me along the way. I hope that my endeavours inspire others to do something that moves them for Sport Relief too!" Zoe's journey will take in
places like Widnes, Stratford upon Avon and Marlow and the whole week will be captured by a BBC One documentary. The BT Sport Relief Challenge: Zoe's Hardest Road Home will be aired during the week of Sport
Relief, which takes place Saturday 17 until Friday 23 March. Zoe's boyfriend, Billy Yates, tragically died from suicide a year ago and she recently spoke movingly about her tribute to him. "One of the things that Sport Relief is supporting this year is mental health. And that's very close to my heart," she explained on The One Show on Monday (February 5). "I think a lot of people know that my boyfriend struggled with depression, and he died last year. Billy, he worked on this show. "After he died, I was left with lots of questions‌ Most people you meet are going to have been touched by this subject. Mental health resources are under huge pressure. I think, a lot of people aren't necessarily [getting] the right help as quickly as they could." Since the BBC's 2014 documentary Life After Suicide
was a comfort for the Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two presenter after her own loss, Zoe will also share her story in an upcoming television film aimed to help others. "We're making the documentary, as well as doing this challenge," Zoe announced. "We're going to visit some projects that are funded by Comic Relief that are helping people find ways to move forwards. "And hopefully meet some families that have gone through what myself and Billy's family have gone through. And ask the questions about what are we doing, how are are we helping, and where can we turn for help? What should loved ones be doing?... There's a lot of subjects here so I'm going to go out and visit these projects, see the work that's being done, and encourage people to get involved. "That's why I'm doing it."
Wearable tech aids stroke patients Scientists in the US are developing wearable sensors to speed up the recovery of stroke patients. The sensors are able to send information to doctors continuously. The team developing the
system says it could allow therapists to more closely monitor the effectiveness of their care. Details of the study were released at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science in Texas. Lizzy McAninch had a stroke two years ago. She could not move or speak or swallow for several weeks. Lizzy is testing out wearable sensors that might speed
her recovery. They look like small white sticking plasters, but they send information wirelessly to her medical team. She is a doctor herself and can see how they could help her. "This technology to put sensors on the body to assess which muscle groups work or not can really pinpoint the areas affected by the stroke and can target therapies to specifically improve those issues," she said. The sensors continue to send back readings even after she has finished her exercises. This means that her therapist Kristen Hohl, from the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, can monitor her progress at home. "As a therapist, I think about what my patients are doing at home. Are they able to carry through the recommendations I'm giving them as a therapist to do more? Do we see that they are walking more or do we see them engaging in conversations? "Those are the types of things that I can get feedback from the sensors where currently I have to rely on what they tell me they have done." The challenge for the scientists was to pack a lot of electronics on to a small flexible material and still make it comfortable for the patient to wear for a long time. "It is almost mechanically imperceptible to the patient who is wearing the device," according to John Rogers, of Northwestern University
in Chicago, who developed the sensors. "And you can embed all sorts of advanced sensor functionality, microprocessor computing capability, power supplies and WiFi into this very unusual platform, and that is the unique-
ness of what we do." By the end of this year, the research team will have more information than ever before on stroke recovery. The scientists believe that their study could transform the way patients are treated in the future.