Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page!

I'm running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October, plus 17 other races throughout 2024 (ranging from 5 miles to 47 miles, plus a 24-hour race!) to raise funds for my chosen charity, Sport in Mind, the UK’s leading mental health sports charity.

I first discovered Sport in Mind when I volunteered at their badminton sessions around 10 years ago. Their mission is to transform the lives and mental health of children and adults through sport and physical activity.

This mission is close to my heart, as I'm not sure I'd still be here today if it weren't for sport and running.

I have a condition called Complex PTSD as a result of major trauma I experienced as a child. My social and emotional development was inhibited from a young age due to these traumatic experiences, resulting in a wide range of symptoms that can sometimes make it hard to function in normal life.

There's a sense of fear and foreboding that follows me around, and it can be hard to convince myself and my body that I'm not in danger at any given time. Being in a heightened state of hypervigilance is exhausting and often results in panic attacks, anxiety and nightmares. The watchtower in my brain has been conditioned to be oversensitive and so it triggers a fight, flight or freeze response when my life isn't actually in danger.

There's also the complication of dissociative amnesia. My memories of the traumatic events are fragmented and I experience intense emotional flashbacks and body memories, where I re-live the abuse I suffered as if it were happening now, without any clear visual memories attached. These flashbacks can be triggered by everyday events and conversations and can be extremely overwhelming and distressing.

Last year was particularly hard for me, as new memories of forgotten abuse had started to surface, and I was unable to work due to the intensity of my PTSD symptoms. Running and netball, while having always been important for my health and wellbeing, became vital to my survival. They gave me some much-needed relief and headspace from the debilitating state of crisis I found myself in.

There are so many benefits to being physically active and participating in sport, and I've learned that it's as important to work on the body as the mind when it comes to healing trauma. This is why I love the work that Sport in Mind do - their physical activity programmes help to aid recovery, promote mental wellbeing, improve physical health, combat social isolation, and empower people to move their lives forward in a positive direction. Sport in Mind also educate people about mental illness and the benefits of being physically active.

So this year, as I continue to heal and focus on personal growth, I am challenging myself to run further than ever before and raise vital funds for this wonderful charity.

If you'd like to donate, it's simple, fast and totally secure to do it here through JustGiving. They'll never sell on your details or send you unwanted emails, and your donation will be sent directly to Sport in Mind.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and for your support; it really does mean a lot :)