Here's the background on why I am running for STAMMA. During my childhood and teenage years, I had a stammer which really affected my confidence. I was ridiculed by other students and even teachers. As a result, I was scared to speak and constantly avoided trigger words (known as covert stammering).

Fortunately, I was able to attend speech therapy, which provided me with mechanisms for managing my stammer. Although my stammer still likes to make an appearance, it has not stopped me from pursuing my dream of becoming a barrister. I am currently studying the Bar Course at City, University of London, which is amazing considering I skipped drama classes to attend speech therapy and hated public speaking in school!

I recently became aware of the amazing work STAMMA does in supporting and advocating for people who stammer. They provide support services via their helpline, webchat and email; support for families and teenagers, an employment service and now a new advocacy service. They also campaign to tackle the stigma surrounding stammering. Please support me and support STAMMA, so that anyone who talks differently can be accepted and take part in society on a level playing field.

On another note, this is my first Half-Marathon! As a keen runner, I have wanted to run a Half-Marathon for the last few years but have not been able to as I sustained a serious injury as a result of getting kicked by a horse. After 18 months of physiotherapy, I am finally able to start my training and am aiming to complete the GNR in under 2 hours.