I'm gutted to say I've had to pull out of the London Marathon. I've been fighting injury and illness for the past 9 or 10 weeks now and despite the physio sessions and strengthening work I've realised now I'm not going to make it in time. I put everything I had into making it back in time but it's just not enough. The injury won't heal without more rest, and the constant pushing to try get over it wasn't helping my health. It's a real hard one to take, London Marathon is normally a once in a lifetime type opportunity, knowing so many of you have generously sponsored me to do it. All I can really say is thanks again for the donations, the charity will still get these obviously, and I will run another marathon to make it up for it when I can get back to full fitness.

As most of you know, in April 2012 we lost my sister Suzanne to a brain tumour.  Suzanne was just 29 when she passed away.  A beautiful person who was cherished by many, and who had a brilliant academic career. It was a terrible and terrifying time for us all, but hellish beyond words for Suzanne.

Suzanne had fought the tumour into remission a few years earlier, and had returned to Spain, a country she loved, to teach English in Granada. However, she wasn’t there for long before my Mum realised during one of their regular phone conservations that something wasn’t right and asked Suzanne to travel back to Scotland.  Not long after, her life was tragically cut short.

While Suzanne gave life everything she could, the agonising years fighting the brain tumour and coping with the operations, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and medications robbed her of what should have been the best years of her life.  Losing her before the age of 30 was devastating and is something which the family have learned to cope with over the years, but it’s something we will never get over.

Suzanne never got to see her nephew who she dotted on as a toddler, grow into the teenager he is today, nor did she ever get the chance to spend quality time living in Spain for which she had worked so hard for. She never got to experience more of being a 20 something and all the crazy stuff that she should have been getting up to. She never got to do and experience so many things.

Of course it’s not only my sister who has succumbed to this terrible illness: friends and colleagues have also been affected.  Later in 2012, to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity and other cancer charities, my friends and I took on the 3 Peaks Challenge.  Emotions ran high at the time and we were astounded by the amount raised, donations from family, friends and even people who didn’t know us or Suzanne were kind enough to donate.  We were especially grateful to receive a donation from Suzanne’s former school, Harris Academy, Dundee.  The fantastic amount raised astonished us then and still does now.

10 years on, I feel it’s time to go again and try to raise some more money to help The Brain Tumour Charity with its aim of accelerating a cure and making a life-changing difference for every person affected by a brain tumour.  I hope that my description of what Suzanne went through highlights the crucial importance of The Brain Tumour Charity's endeavours.

I’m still pinching myself to make sure it’s true but I’ve been fortunate enough to be given an entry into the 2023 London Marathon by The Brain Tumour Charity to fundraise on its behalf.  I am grateful and honoured to run for the charity in memory of Suzanne.  Hopefully some of you will be in a position to sponsor me in this daunting but exciting challenge.

Today, 17^th November 2022, would have been Suzanne’s 40^th birthday and I don’t’ think that there’s a better day to launch this fundraising page.  Suzanne’s birthday is celebrated every year by Lynsey, Finlay, and myself together with my Mum and Dad, and we know and appreciate the fact that many others also raise a glass to Suzanne on this date.

Thanks for taking the time to read my fundraising page.

To Suzanne – Happy Birthday!!

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, we're moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour. We're set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And we're doing it right now. Because we understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour a cure really can't wait.