Dementia is a cruel disease, and one which has touched the lives of so many of us. In April I will be running the Paris Marathon to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society, the UK's leading dementia charity, to help fund research into a cure and provide support for people living with dementia today.

Alzheimer's Society has always been a charity close to my heart because the disease they are fighting has impacted so many of mine and my husband’s family, and continues to do so. What is particularly special to me is that they have been funding research into Dementia with Lewy Bodies in recent years, a unique strain which my grandfather suffered from when he passed away, as part of the amazing work they do.

I chose the Paris Marathon because my grandmother, who currently lives with Alzheimer’s, was a keen linguist and languages teacher her whole life - and my growing up to study French at university was in no small part down to her legacy.

I have never run this far in my life, but know that every step will be worth it to support to the research they fund and care they provide.