Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As I'm sure many of you know, Cancer Research UK is a charity that has been close to my heart for many years. I first started raising money for them when I was 11 years old and my Mum and I ran race for life in memory of my Grandfather, who sadly passed away from lung cancer.

Since then, cancer has affected my life by targeting other members of my family. The hardest to deal with was my Mum. In 2010, my Mum was diagnosed with 2 types of breast cancer at the same time. This was complicated further by her type 1 diabetes. Throughout this horrible time she stayed strong despite being rushed to hospital multiple times. You would never have even known anything was wrong. She is without doubt the bravest person I have ever known, and probably ever will know and is a massive inspiration to me.

The inspiration that my Mum has given me is a large part of the reason I am running the marathon. Again, as many of you know, I'm a bit of a cripple. I have problems with my back, hip and leg that have seen me spend too much of the last few years either on crutches, using a walking stick or in a wheelchair. In addition to this I've now been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that's given me hypothyroidism and a severe vitamin B12 deficiency, both of which make me tired all the time. Do not worry though, I'm all dosed up on painkillers and caffeine and my doctor has assured me I'm good to go! But seeing as this is such a big deal for me I think you should all donate double the amount you normally would ;)

It is thanks to the work of Cancer Research UK that people like my Mum are able to survive cancer. Their work has helped transform the way cancer is prevented, diagnosed and treated today, but more than 1 in 3 of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives and with our ageing population, this statistic is getting worse.  We’re fighting for a world where no one’s life is cut short by cancer. Sooner or later we will find cures for all cancers.

Let’s make it sooner.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

You can also donate by texting BIGB94 followed by £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070

So please dig deep and donate whatever you can, whether that's £2 or £200. Every penny helps! 

Thanks for your support :)