This Autumn, I will be taking on the Royal Parks Half Marathon and raising funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which is a cause that is very close to my heart.

As you may know, my eldest daughter, Sophie, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in December 2022, when she was six years old. She has been receiving outstanding care from the Royal Marsden and I am eternally grateful for everything that they have done. Their expertise and support has been nothing short of phenomenal.

As you may also know, I am quite partial to a good curry and the occasional beer. I am overweight, unfit, and have never run anything remotely close to 13.1 miles in my life! So this will be a real personal challenge for me to get fit enough to run a half marathon.

But I am determined to do this, to raise funds for the Royal Marsden's vital cause. Through their work they support life-saving research including clinical trials (like the one that Sophie has participated in) and the development of new drugs that will transform the lives of cancer patients across the UK and around the world.

I will be running the half marathon:

- in appreciation of the wonderful job that all the staff at The Royal Marsden, and all other NHS hospitals, do;

- in awe of the positivity, resilience, strength and courage shown by Sophie throughout this extremely difficult period;

- in memory of two of my best friends, Mark and Paul, who we have sadly lost in the past two years.

Thank you in advance for supporting my huge challenge and donating whatever you can, it will make a massive difference.