On July 5th 2019, I lost my Dad to suicide, this year marked five years since his passing and has been a big reflection point for me in how far me and my family have come since we lost him. That day feels like yesterday yet at the same time feels like a life time a go and we all miss him so much.

In 2019, we did a charity night in his memory.

In 2020, a big group of us walked a half marathon.

In 2021, I did the Hike into the Light.

In 2022, I walked 100 miles across October.

In 2023, me and my sister did a skydive from 10,000 feet.

Across these events I have raised around £13,000 for the Headlight Project. I appreciate that I can't fundraise every year forever so this year I want to do something big. My Dad's legacy now carries on in the work that I do with Headlight Project.

This year I will be completing my own charity challenge which consists of the following three events:

1- Sunday 8th September the Great North Run

2- Sunday 22nd September the Yorkshire 3 Peaks

3- Sunday 13th October the Manchester half marathon

Am I crazy? Most probably yes, the furthest I have currently ran is 12km and the GNR is in just over three weeks.

But I am crazy for a very good reason. The Headlight Project supports people in the Tees Valley bereaved by suicide, they supported me and my family with 1-1 counselling after losing Dad. The counselling is fully funded by the charity which is what your donations will go towards alongside suicide prevention and education. I can not put into words how much that support held my family at a time we all felt broken.

I am now privileged enough to work as a counsellor with the charity to offer others what I was offered. I witness first hand in our group hubs and 1-1 counselling how powerful and important the work that the Headlight Project do is. This is where my Dad's legacy continues, he is with me in every person I work with and my experience is the driving force that makes me so passionate about the work that I do. Not only will I be running/hiking for my Dad, I am running/hiking for all the people who I have worked with who have lost their loved ones to suicide. So yes those three events seem a lot but it is nothing in comparison to the pain of losing my Dad.

Any donations or shares of my page are massively appreciated!

Love Lu x