Hi I’m Amy and I’m participating in the Great North Run 2023 to raise funds for Bowel Cancer UK.

I only started running fairly recently and having secured a place in the GNR, it has inspired me to challenge myself and leave my comfort zone. On gaining my place in the GNR I have ran a maximum distance of 5km, mainly around where I live on an evening and some local park runs on a Saturday morning. This will be a chance to push myself to run further than 5km and achieve the target of my first ever half marathon (21km).

My participation in this event is not just about a personal challenge, I am also motivated by the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. By participating in this event, I hope to raise funds and awareness for Bowel Cancer UK, a cause that is close to my heart due to my occupation as a staff nurse on a surgical ward.

Nursing a patient with bowel cancer can be both challenging and rewarding. Patient’s that battle bowel cancer often have to undergo extensive treatments including; surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Within my job I mainly look after patients in the pre and post operative stages of their bowel cancer journey. One of the challenges of nursing a patient with bowel cancer is that the disease can have a significant impact on their physical and emotional well-being.

Bowel Cancer UK is the leading bowel cancer charity in the UK and they are determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. Bowel Cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer with over 16,000 people dying annually of a disease that is preventable, treatable and curable. Your support will help stop people dying of bowel cancer by funding vital services and lifelong research.

The Great North Run is the world’s second biggest half-marathon with over 60,000 runners. My aim is to get to the end somewhere between 2-3 hours and hopefully without the need for medical attention.

Thank you for every pound, pence and thumbs up you can give me.