After completing four 10Km races in the space of 2 months I finally decided i needed to step it up a gear and the Bupa Great Birmingham Run in October seemed to be the perfect opportunity. This is double the distance i have ever run so the training starts here, I also have to be extremely careful not to get injured playing rugby, as most of you know I'm not the most capable player!

I chose the Katie Piper foundation after becoming captivated by the work completed by this dedicated young woman and her supportive team. You may have seen the recent documentary following Katie on the launch of her charity "Katie: My beautiful friends". This charity is working towards normalising disfigurement within society whilst providing essential help and support to those living with burns and disfigurement. The long term goal of the foundation is to set up an advanced rehabilitation and burns clinic in the UK, in the meantime this charity strives to create a support network for all those living with burns and scars who currently feel isolated. For more information please see the website for this charity: http://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/ . To see more of what this incredible foundation is doing please take some time to watch the channel 4 documentary, which can be found at http://www.channel4.com/programmes/katie-my-beautiful-friends

I know times are tough and many people don't have money to spare, but please give what you can and it really is true that every penny counts. I will be doing my very best to train as hard as i can for this event, so any support you can give will be greatly appreciated. 

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.

Thank you for your help, Rachael