In April 2025 I will be running my first of five marathons - the TCS London Marathon for Cure Leukaemia, a charity incredibly close to my heart.

The idea to run five marathons in a year came as a way for me to celebrate / reflect on five years since my life dramatically changed with a Leukaemia diagnosis.

For those of you that know me, you will know this already, for those of you that don't; on 21st November 2019 I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and for the following three and a half years I underwent rigorous chemotherapy, that was researched by Cure Leukaemia at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

During that period, I had a number of life threatening complications with the low point being on 21st December 2019, where I was put into a medically induced coma to try to save my life. Thankfully, even though I was given an incredibly slim chance of surviving, I did, and went on to finish my full treatment schedule in July 2023.

Having started maintenance chemotherapy in August 2020 I was able to restart my fitness journey, and I completed the 'London 2 Paris' cycle ride whilst undergoing my chemotherapy to raise money for Cure Leukaemia.

My journey back to full fitness has been turbulent to say the least as I have had a number of medical setbacks since finishing my treatment, which have hindered my ability to get back to full fitness. Not to mention that I currently have a 'childlike' immune system which means that I am constantly fighting off colds / flu and infections.

As a result of the way my immune system made me feel, I have campaigned / fought to introduce a re-vaccination schedule for young adults who have been through leukaemia treatment and I am hopeful that should this schedule be effective for me that it can be introduced to a wider patient group.

I think the hardest part of my journey to date is that the impacts of the leukaemia have not gone away, instead they are relentless. To the outside world I am a normal man, yet I still take a unique and powerful daily chemotherapy tablet that has its own effects on my body. I could very well be taking this chemotherapy tablet for the rest of my life as there is no research to suggest the correct timescale for this unique drug. This is one of the reasons why raising money for Cure Leukaemia is so important, to fund further research.

As with all of my challenges that I have completed, during and post leukaemia treatment; I want to again prove to myself that even through the adversity of having had cancer it is still possible to achieve your goals and fulfil your passions.

My passions have always included fitness and helping others. I hope my story and this marathon can be the start of helping and inspiring others.