Thank you so much for visiting my page, I’m running the TCS Sydney Marathon on Sunday 31st August 2025 to raise money for Spinal Research #TEAMSPINAL, to cure paralysis.

My Story:

I have to admit, Spinal research was never at the forefront of my mind when I thought about running a marathon or charities to fundraise for. Until a few years ago, nobody close to me had suffered a spinal cord injury, or was paralysed and naïvely, it was something that didn’t occur to me. I knew it happened to people, but rarely thought about people with spinal injuries, their families, or the accidents that happen, leaving people needing spinal surgery, let alone the cure or support available.

This changed, when in May 2022 a family member, Seth, was in a tragic car accident which put him in intensive care at the age of 18 years old. Seth survived the accident with a spinal cord injury which has changed his and the family around him’s lives. Seth has spent the last 3 years in and out of Hospital and the Salisbury spinal unit, where they try to manage his injuries to make his life more comfortable. Seth is now paralysed from the shoulders down with limited movement in both arms, and requires carers to help him with everyday tasks on a 24-hour basis.

It was not until his accident that our family realised how little help there is for spinal cord injuries, how little we know, and how life-changing the consequences are. The resilience, optimism and positivity needed by Seth and all of those injured and the families around them is unfathomable and I’m inspired by Seth every day.

Although Seth is unfortunate to have been injured so young, there is hope that there is still time to find a cure in his lifetime. Your donations will help fund the advancement of spinal research to one day find cures for spinal paralysis. Knowing how to help can leave you feeling a bit hopeless, but not taking movement for granted and helping fundraise to try and find a cure is one way that I feel I can make a small contribution. I’ve been lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to raise money for Spinal Research by running the Sydney Marathon in August 2025.

Until recently it was thought that any regeneration and repair of the spinal cord was not possible, however, ongoing research is helping advance the understanding of spinal cord biology. We are a way off currently, but the science is there and breakthroughs are being made.

Somebody is paralysed every 2 hours in the UK by a spinal cord injury and the UK Government/NHS currently contribute £0.00 funding to spinal research in the UK so the research is 100% reliant on donations. The hurdle that exists is one of funding and no longer one of science.

Please help us find a cure and fund groundbreaking research that will one day cure paralysis! Please donate whatever you can afford, there is no donation to small 😊.

Thank you!