My friends daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when she was just 5 years old. She endured 12 rounds of chemo, major surgery, high dose chemo & stem cell rescue, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Finally, after 19months of intensive treatment, in May 2020 they recieved the news that she was in remission. 

During this time Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly ClicSargent) helped support the whole family in a number of valuable ways. They provided a dedicated social worker who helped them access disability benefits & grants to help them financially while they were unable to work, including applying for a blue badge to allow them to park for free rather than pay the £22 per day it costs to park at the hospital. They were there when it mattered for emotional support throughout and can also provide accommodation for families that need to travel a long way to be able to stay with their children during long periods of intensive treatment. They are also now supporting children with cancer who have had to flee the war in Ukraine. 

I saw how much the whole family were impacted by this heartbreaking diagnosis and know how much support Young Lives vs Cancer can give to other families in their position. So on their behalf I want to raise some crucial funds to allow them to continue to do their fantastic work. 

So! I have taken on the challenge of running not 1, but 2 marathons in this, my 50th birthday year!

Prior to December 2019 I had never done any form of sport or formal exercise, but just before my 48th birthday I found out that I needed to have half my thyroid removed to determine if growths on it were cancerous. At this point, not knowing what I was facing, I decided I had to get as fit as I could in order to be strong enough to fight if needed, so I started running following the Couch25k programme. Luckily my lumps were benign, but I quickly lost motivation to run, finding every excuse I could.... I was too tired, too hungry, the weather was too cold, too wet, too hot....

I found a virtual club during lockdown and started running at least a mile a day - every day. I ran every day for 375 days averaging just over 4 miles a day, entered and ran a few 10ks and a half marathon. 

But turning 50 I needed a new challenge and what better year to go big and run a marathon! I ran my first marathon in Edinburgh on 29th May with London next up on 2nd October, and in doing so I am raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer. Please please please support my chosen charity and help make my 50th birthday marathons benefit more families that are going through the unimaginable.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.