I am the Chief Executive of the Stroke Association. I am attempting to run the London Marathon for three reasons:

1. Stroke is a brain attack and happens in an instant. Stroke turns lives upside down and is the single biggest cause of complex adult disability in the UK. The Stroke Association provides life-changing support and research, yet we are only able to support 6% of the 1.2m stroke survivors living in the UK. We are a charity funded through public donations. We desperately need your financial support to help us grow our reach and impact on the lives of stroke survivors, their
carers and families.

2. My grandmother died of a stroke and my late-partner John died of a brain tumour. I know only too well how devastating the effects of stroke and brain injury can be. Stroke is one of the biggest health challenges of
our age and desperately needs to be given more funding and government attention.

3. I have reached the ripe-old age of 50! It therefore seems appropriate to set myself a mid-life challenge.

I am not a runner and probably never will be. This will be one of the toughest things I will ever do in my life. At this stage, I’m not quite sure how I’ll fit the training around my busy life. The thing that will keep me going during the tough times is remembering how thousands of stroke survivors across the UK achieve amazing things in the face of real adversity. I am so privileged and this is the least that I can do to show my respect and admiration for them. Please give generously.