If you're on this page, I'd firstly like to say THANK YOU, for getting this far.. and if you have the time to read on, I hope to persuade you click onto the next page to donate to this wonderful charity.

This story belongs to my loving and hilarious father who beat bowel cancer 2 years ago.

In April 2009 and I had just returned home from my second term as a fresher at University and my mum explained that she needed to talk to me and my younger sister about something. From her face you could tell something was wrong (it was 'that' face, preparing us for imminent bad news). The news, as you may have guessed, was that Dad had bowel cancer... and so the tears flowed.

This diagnosis came after weeks, even months of experiencing some pretty horrible symptoms (to be quite blunt, these involved severe abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, rapid weight loss, tiredness which eventually led to collapse and blood transfusions).

It was a devastating and extremely scary time for my family but we quickly realised it wasn't us who had to be the most scared, it was my dad. My father, a very proud Irishman was fighting a disease that is the second biggest killer of cancer deaths in the UK, taking the life of someone else's loved one every 32 minutes - with a survival rate of a crappy 7% if caught at the late stage.

After being misdiagnosed once, my mother being aware of the symptoms of this disease kept pressing the doctors for more tests, and it was a few weeks and referrals later he was diagnosed and begun treatment at the Royal Marsden, London. It is with HUGE thanks to charities such as Beating Bowel Cancer that my mother was able to spot the signs and ensure that my dad was treated quickly and successfully. Without this, my wonderful, stubborn, moustache wearing dad would have died.

After completing the Bupa 10,000 in a sub 50 time, I have realised a fondness for running and signed up to the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October 2014.

I am continually fundraising for this charity and would be delighted if you had the time and money to donate whatever you can to support them, and me in this challenge.

Thanks!

Caitlin