It is my honour and privilege to be running the London 2024 Marathon for the Royal Air Forces Association.

I've grown up in the RAF community. My father was a serving Officer for 30 years and has been deployed to war and on missions on numerous occasions, leaving behind his parents, wife and children. Missions can be terrifying, often life changing, but are in place to protect and serve our country and people. Those in the RAF are strong, self-less and tenacious. They will protect and serve no matter the cost, and will never ask for anything in return. I’ve seen this first hand through my own family life and the RAF families we’ve been surrounded by. Unfortunately, though, we have seen sacrifice that has led to great loss.   

RAFA is an incredible charity who gives back to that community, supporting those currently serving and deployed, veterans and their families, often through the most difficult times of their lives. They provide care and financial aid to veterans, companionship to flight loneliness, support to families left behind while loves ones are away…

At the end of 2001, my dad was told he would be leaving on a 6-month deployment to help in the Middle East. I was so devastated. How would we live without him for months on end, and would he be safe? A charity like RAFA helps support families in those times.

We were lucky, on Christmas Eve, there was a knock on the front door, my sister and I opened it, and my dad was there waiting for us. He was one of a lucky select few allowed early leave to spend a few days with his family.

Before April 2023 and signing up to run this marathon, I couldn’t run to the end of my road. The last year has been a tough, testing and crazy journey both mentally and physically (current injuries included), but liberating and I'm proud to be supporting RAFA. I ran my first half marathon in October 2023, sustained a bad knee injury but I’m back and fighting for this challenge. But honestly, none of this compares to the service and the sacrifice that our Royal Air Force personnel and their families give to their country and community.

Any donation, no matter the amount, is so greatly appreciated. I promise to give this challenge my absolute all and thank you to every single person supporting me and the RAFA charity ❤️.

Lucy x

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A note from the charity:

Our amazing #TeamRAFA of fundraisers will join an anticipated 50,000 runners along the 26.2 mile route to run through London's iconic landscape.

Your generous donations will help the charity to continue to support serving RAF personnel, RAF veterans and their families. They benefit from a wide range of services including befriending, mental wellbeing training courses, professional childcare training for spouses, bespoke casework support, and help to secure emergency grants.