My earliest childhood memory is of my mums fiancé holding a knife to my throat.I was 5 yrs old. I remember her being thrown around the house and pushed down the stairs whilst I was on them. I remember being terrified, always terrified, frightened of him, frightened for her and frightened someone would find out! The fear stayed with me for years after we left. My mum died when I was in my late teens and shortly after I met and married someone who turned out to be the cruelest person I’ve ever met. For almost 10 yrs he kicked, punched, raped, spat, suffocated, strangled and humiliated me. I know without a doubt that if I hadn’t managed to get out he would have killed me. I still have the physical scars but the deepest ones are on the inside! I can’t describe what it is like to live in fear as a child and as an adult, what I can say is that the effects of trauma last a lifetime! I now have an amazing husband who loves and supports me, who understands my need for space and my overprotectiveness of our children, who knows not to come up behind me and who listens to me endlessly as I now use my voice because I’ve spent too many years without one; I was conditioned to keep silent but no more! For this most personal reason it is a huge honour for me to run the 2024 London Marathon for Refuge, an amazing charity that helps and supports women, survivors of domestic violence to rebuild their lives free from fear!

I would be so very grateful for any support that you can give me , thank you xx