Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page and read about my challenge.

On the 27th October 2014 I will be attempting to run the Dublin Marathon. This will be the furthest I have ever ran, 26.2 miles and if I said I wasn't scared I'd be lying. I know it's going to involve an awful of a lot of training and sheer dedication if I'm going to get round, but I know I'll do it because my motivation is my brother Gareth, I'm doing this for him, for his memory and I know that on the day he'll get me round one way or another...I'll crawl if I have to!

Gareth sadly passed away in July 2010, less than a month before his 21st birthday. He had so much of his life left to live and so much to live for! Anybody that knew Gareth will back me up when I say what an amazing lad he was...full of fun and smiles and so kind and caring to all of his friends and family. We all miss him immensely. Despite being younger than me Gareth was more like a big brother and a best friend, and I could always rely on him to be there for me. He was also a very keen and talented rugby player and I was always an extremely proud big sister watching him play for Ilkeston on Saturdays.

I really want to make sure Gareth's memory lives on and that we can use his memory to save lives and prevent other families going through what we have been through. This is the reason I have chosen to take on Dublin Marathon this year in support of Samaritans.

The volunteers at Samaritans do a fantastic job, they provide a life line, they save lives. People who’ve used the Samaritans service say that simply having someone to talk to can be of great help.It can begin to sort out confused feelings, relieve the pressure, and encourage you to believe that there is a way forward. Alongside the phone line service the Samaritans also undertake research and run various campaigns to help reduce the risk of suicide. They work hard to raise awareness about suicide prevention, educate society about the signs to look out for and how to help.

According to a recent newspaper article:

- Men are now three times more likely than women to commit suicide, official figures have revealed.

- The ratio between men and women is now the highest it has been for 30 years, according to the latest Office for National Statistics report.

- The figures show that in 2012, 5,981 people aged 15 and over committed suicide in the UK - 64 fewer than in 2011.

- There were 4,590 male suicides registered, compared with 1,391 female.

One of the campaigns that Samaritans are currently running to address this issue is called 'We’re in your Corner'. It is designed to: raise awareness of the issue of men and suicide and to encourage these men to seek help, understand why this group of men are most at risk of suicide, and influence policy makers and service providers.

Samaritans are also joining forces with Bristol University to carry out groundbreaking research on the role the internet plays for those with suicidal thoughts. This is a project that is of particular interest to me and is another reason I have chosen to fundraise for Samaritans.

Data suggests that 2014 could well be Samaritans busiest year yet...they are expecting tens of thousands more phone calls over the coming months compared to the same period last year. Each call costs Samaritans £3.83, and they can save lives.

I would really appreciate it if you could spare a small amount of money to sponsor me to run this marathon, to remember Gareth and support a very worthy cause which in turn will help to save lives.

If you can't spare any money to make a donation don't worry, you can still make a difference by helping me to raise awareness and reduce the taboo surrounding suicide. You can share my story, like the Samaritans social media pages, share the campaigns on their website...every little bit will help towards making a big difference.

Thank you so so much again for your support and for taking the time to visit my page and read about my challenge and my reasons for doing it.

Big love...

Sarah xx

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