Almost unbelievably, on 3rd May 2014, I took part in the Thames Path 100 challenge. It's a non-stop 100 mile foot race which saw me finding my way, cross country, between London and Oxford in 22 hours and 20 minutes - I was the 4th lady to finish, out of 33 of us who started, and 52nd overall! Running (and walking) non-stop through the night, this was undoubtedly the hardest and most painful thing I have ever done but I am very proud to achieve not only a finish but also an unexpected time - I'd been aiming for just under 24 hours.

The reason I chose Centrepoint as my sponsorship charity for this event is two-fold. Firstly, back in the day when I had a much more chaotic life than I do now, and made very bad choices, had it not been for the support of my family, I could have very easily ended up without a roof over my head and I've always been aware of just how close I got and how incredibly lucky I am that they were there for me to bail me out with the rent money again, or to take me back home when it all went wrong. I understand only too well how life can turn upside down, even for someone like me - I was a loved and lucky teenager with a world of support and opportunity. I can't imagine how difficult life can be for children who come from less fortunate backgrounds, or from abusive homes, or how they manage when they end up alone in the terrifying position of having to survive on the streets. 

The second reason for choosing Centrepoint is that I knew I'd be running through the night during the 100 miler, and had planned that when I started to feel bad about how cold it was, or how I didn't like being out in the pitch black, I would be able to think of the thousands of people who every night have to cope with being out all night, because they have no other choice and no home to go to, and I could use that as extra motivation to get the job done,  knowing that I was supporting at least a few of those people and knowing that the money that you had donated will be making life a little less challenging for someone.

Thank you for taking the time to read my page, and please dig deep if you'd like to sponsor me, and help make a real and lasting difference to the lives of homeless young people.