Dad had many passions in his life, and a pursuit of excellence in respiratory medicine was one of them. He spent hours and hours of his own free time travelling this country – and the world – learning about new innovations and then using that knowledge to teach our doctors and nurses all over the country how to give excellent care to their patients suffering from Asthma and COPD. His academic work in this field was always personal, having suffered with Asthma himself his whole life, and in many ways, this gave him the drive he needed to try and make life better for others who also lived with this chronic illness every day. In the early 1990’s he started using his running to raise money for what was known then as The National Asthma Campaign. He subsequently became a trustee of the charity as it came to be known as Asthma UK.

Pretty much any step I have ever run anywhere in the world has been in aid of this charity and the work they do – from Paris to London, Edinburgh, Derry Londonderry, Aberdeen and Glasgow – I’ve actually lost track of how much money Dad and I have raised for Asthma UK over the years. The charity has recently become Asthma and Lung UK, which in many ways is even more fitting since Dad was committed to research into the whole of respiratory care. This means the money we raise will help fund research and support for patients with not only Asthma, but COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Long Covid, Lung cancer, pheumonia, interstitial lung disease – the list goes on. In fact, 1 in 5 people will suffer from a lung condition in their lifetime, and this charity does so much to help support them and their families through all the difficulties that might bring.

In Dad's honour, I'm running The London Marathon 2023 for Asthma + Lung UK. They're the only UK charity that fights for everyone's right to breathe. Every pound I'm able to raise will take us a step closer to a world where everyone has healthy lungs.Just £22 allows one of Asthma + Lung UKs nurses to answer a call on the Helpline, offering potentially lifesaving advice. I'd be very grateful for any donations you could make!