On the 9th of September this year I am hoping to run my first full Marathon (26.2 miles!!) in aid of The Earl Mountbatten Hospice. 

My Mum passed away in June 2013 aged just 50 after a short battle with cancer. As a family we are so grateful that she was able to spend the last week of her life at the Hospice rather than in hospital. The service/care she and my family received was above and beyond anything that we could've wished for. I will forever feel indebted to them and so this is why I'd like to be able to give something back. The Hospice also helped me in 2016 when I received bereavement counselling for delayed grief. I wasn't able to grieve my Mum's death properly when she died because I was five months pregnant with my second child so all of my thoughts and energy went into producing a healthy and happy baby.

I started running in 2015 as a way of easing daily anxiety. Since then I have completed four half marathons and a few other races but this year I decided it was time for the "big one" and as the New Forest Marathon is actually on my 35th birthday I felt like it was meant to be....lets hope I'm right!  I have started my training and am super nervous about it all but I'm hoping that when the sponsorship money starts rolling in it will give me another reason to just keep on running!

I only wish my Mum was around to see me doing this, she wouldn't believe it, I have never been a "sporty" person so she would be surprised and I know she would've really enjoyed telling people "my daughter is running a marathon" and showing off.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page and reading my reasons why I'm undertaking this challenge for such a worthy and wonderful charity. Anything you can donate will mean so much. You can call it my birthday present if it helps! ;o) xx