I am setting up this page on 18th August 2022 for two inter-woven reasons. 

I have done previous physical challenges, including half marathons, but have never done so to raise money, and completed them more for myself, and dare I say, for fun?! I wasn’t going to fundraise for this one either after paying for my place, rather than having a charity spot, but I guess I now have a strong enough, tangible drive to do so following mum’s cancer treatment. 

The main motivation for this page is to offer some form of gratitude to Rotherham Hospital, who recently supported my mum, Gill Ward, through her breast cancer treatment in the first half of 2022. She’s never once moaned or grumbled and met the challenge head on. 

Rotherham hospital's care was tremendous and the treatment swift and effective. Our amazing NHS! With following radiotherapy treatment and regular check-ups, she has since been given the "all clear" to great relief. I’m sure their after care will be just as brilliant! 

As I write this, I appreciate that mum's stories is relatively positive and other peoples' stories are often much less fortunate. I also appreciate, sadly, the great number of people diagnosed with "life-limiting" illness on a daily basis whose story is maybe yet to reach its conclusion and may not have a positive outcome. This makes me even more grateful of her treatment received at Rotherham Hospital and even more motivated to do the little bit that I can to thank, and to support, the superheroes at Rotherham hospital, without whom, things could have been different. 

The second reason is a much more selfish one: this summer I have eaten far too much, drank way too much, ran way too little and I know find myself in a bit of pickle, overweight and less than a month to go until the Great North Run 2022 with very little practice mileage in the legs. This is where you come in. With generous donations, there is no way that I will fail at this half marathon. I have never been much of a runner, and have never been the fittest, but I am more determined than ever to give it my best shot. No need to ask me how long it will take me - it will be slow, ploddy and lethargic but I am not really doing this for me; I'm doing it for my superhero of a mother who continues to live life to the full, the most caring and selfless person I know, and for the superheroes of the NHS at Rotherham Hospital. 

I also appreciate that times are tough economically for a lot so any donation would be massive in my eyes and will give me that motivation needed to get my fat backside moving and out and around the Great North Run 2022 course. Even if you can't donate, maybe a share on social media could also go a long way to help raising funds?

Many thanks in advance. You're all awesome!