Hi everyone, 

For those of you who know me well, you can confirm that my top passions in life are drinking margaritas and enjoying a cheeky pineapple ice lost Mary. I have decided to strip myself of everything joyful in my life and take up the challenge of running the Richmond half-marathon on September 10th! As someone whose athletic prowess peaked at coming 3rd in the year 5 sports day 100m, I’ve definitely got my work cut out for me. Also, in true British spirit, of course my race has to fall on the hottest week of the year after a very wet and windy summer. 

I’m going to be running for Alzheimer’s Society, a charity very close to my heart. In December 2021, my incredible 91 year old granny Jenni was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s type dementia. I was living with her at the time and for a year after, and it’s extremely difficult to describe how heartbreaking it is to watch someone you love, who has always been such a stable part of your life, gradually start to lose parts of themselves. At the time of updating this (a few days before my race) I'm very sad to say that my grandma's Alzheimers has progressed and she has moved into a home this week. With all its challenges and painful moments, you learn to cherish the lighthearted ones and find joy in them. I wouldn’t trade my time there for anything in the world and am ultimately so grateful for all of it (even rewatching the same documentaries on the royal family and doing the same puzzles together over and over again). She is a truly inspirational woman, swipe to see her flying a spitfire plane for her 90th birthday! 

It would mean the world to me if you would consider donating to this incredible cause via the link below to help me reach my target of 800 pounds. Your donation will be used to fund groundbreaking research to ensure dementia no longer devastates lives, to provide services for those suffering, and to influence change to make dementia the priority it should be. I also promise I will share evidence of me struggling for entertainment purposes. 

Thank you so much, 

Annabelle xx