After signing up for the Mont Blanc Triathlon I decided it was also a good opportunity to raise a bit of money for a charity. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to choose a charity to support. Eventually I chose Cruse Bereavement Care. Here are my reasons why I chose to support this charity.  

As many of you know I lost my dad to lung cancer in 2010. I know I am biased, but many others who knew him will tell you, my dad was the most selfless, beautiful, funny, caring man. He was an Angel. Not only did he help people through his work as a nurse and a nurse manager but he also did lots of voluntary work in his own time.  For many years he volunteered as a bereavement councilor for Cruse Berevement Care, Lancashire. He worked with individuals and families who had lost loved ones. Listening and helping them to cope and adapt to living in a world that has irreversibly changed by the absence of their loved ones who had died. 

How people grieve is very personal and there is no right or wrong way. Most people can cope with the love and support of friends and family but some people need additional specialist help. Cruse offers free confidential advice via telephone, email or face to face. 

Cruse supports adults, children, young people, people who have lost loved ones suddenly and traumatically and also military families and members of the armed forces.

Losing someone close to you is just an indescribable feeling. Unfortunately it is something all of us will have to experience at sometime in our lives. You never get over it you just learn to live with it. I will never forget my dad and think of him everyday but I also like to occasionally remind everyone about him and how truly awesome he was :)

So I am doing this Triathlon and raising money for Cruse in memory of my dad, my angel, my inspiration. Hopefully raising a bit of cash to help other people who are struggling to come to terms with losing their dads, mums, brothers, sisters, babies, friends, uncle, aunties..........................

I hope he is really proud :)