On 29 March 1981 my mother ran in the very first London Marathon at the age of 64. It was the first time she had run a marathon - in fact it was her first run at any distance - and she was the oldest woman in the race. She went on to run another 49 marathons across the world, raising £ thousands for charity, inspiring older people to keep fit, and becoming widely known as 'Marathon Madge'.

I am aiming to run my first marathon in London 2024 at the age of 70 - as a tribute to my mother and a chance to raise funds to support the disability equality charity Scope. 

As a civil servant I was involved in shaping disability rights legislation and employment programmes to help disabled people into work. I'm delighted to be able to raise some funds now to help Scope boost the chances of disabled people participating fully and equally in society.

Any contribution you can make will be hugely appreciated!