In May of last year I saw my life partner & forever soulmate, Cecilia, take her very last breath; my two teenage children, Amelia (aged 19) & Arthur (aged 14) had to say goodbye to their beloved mum.

According to the Brain Tumour Charity, 75% of people diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumour will not survive for more than a year. It took less than a month for Cecilia to move from a diagnosis to the end of her life.

At the end of February, Cecilia was walking up mountains in the Highlands of Scotland. At the end of March, she felt a tingling sensation in her hand. By the end of April, she had lost mobility on her left hand side and she had been formally diagnosed with an incurable, life threatening brain tumour. By mid May, she suffered a brain haemorrhage that ultimately took her life.

As a family, we have had absolutely no time to process or come to terms with what happened to Cecilia. We don’t want anyone else to go through what we have had to go through. We want to do everything in our power to bring about an end to brain cancer, to help bring some meaning to Cecilia’s cruel and untimely death.

After my daughter took part in the Cancer Research SHINE night walk (she bravely completed 26 miles in nine and a half hours!) with her friends and raised more than £10,000 for charity, I felt inspired to embark on my own challenge - raising awareness and vital funds for Brain Tumour research.

At the end of March, I am going to be walking from Leicester (where myself and Cecilia met more than 30 years ago) to Bolton, her home town (where Cecilia was born & bred). I will be joined by our good friend Simon, who we also met at University.

Our 120 mile journey will end at the Tough Sheet Stadium, the home of Bolton Wanderers on Monday 1st April, when the Trotters will be taking on the football team that I support, Reading FC. Cecilia’s Dad is a Bolton Wanderers fan and will be walking with me for the final few miles from his home in Sharples to the Stadium.

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, they are moving further and faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour.

By sponsoring me you will be helping the Brain Tumour Charity to fund research, raise awareness of brain tumours, reduce diagnosis times and provide vital support and information for people with brain tumours, their families and friends. Thank you!