Post race update

We did it! Thanks to everyone who supported me. It really made a difference, especially in those last few miles (check out the blog http://bostonmarathondiary.blogspot.com/ for more details!). If you haven't already sponsored me but are about to do so THANK YOU! Your donation will make a real difference to the care young people with cancer receive.

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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

The Boston Rowing Marathon is raced over 50k (31miles ) between Lincoln and Boston (Lincolnshire - not  Massachusetts!). I'll be racing in a double with my rowing partner Lesley - shown above in a shorter outing at the start of the year. Neither of us has been rowing long.

Celebrating my 50th year by rowing 50k and raising money for charity seemed like a really good idea last August. Now that the big day is drawing closer and intensive training is causing pain in parts of my anatomy I'd rather not mention I'm not quite so sure.  But hey - why wouldn't someone want to get up at 5.30am to row 30k in the wind and rain? (You can read more about my preparations on 

Raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust is a really good reason to keep on rowing when the going gets tough. If you're from GCU you'll remember Allister Boyd, an amazing young man who raised 200k for the trust despite his own illness. No-one who met him, however fleetingly, could fail to be inspired by his attitude and strength.

Although considered to be an older persons disease six teenagers or young adults every day find out they have cancer. Its hard enough to make it through a normal adolescence but these youngsters have to do it while suffering from a life threatening and, in too many cases, terminal disease. What makes it even harder is being treated either in a children's unit, or on an adult ward with elderly patients because there are too few specialist wards available for them. Age appropriate care and environment has a direct impact on the mental and physical well-being of these young people and on their chances of fighting this disease: increasing survival rates by as much as 15%.

All donations and sponsorship money raised here will be paid directly to TCT's West of Scotland campaign. This campaign is already funding work on a unit in the Yorkhill Hospital and when that is finished will fund a unit within the new hospital for sick children to be built in Glasgow in a few years time.

So go on, sponsor me and give me a reason to push past the pain.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.