I've entered the London Marathon in April 2025. My first marathon, and first run of more than 10K. Gulp...

I am proud and humbled to be running for Refuge alongside women and family members who benefit from this great charity. Refuge is an organisation my family and I have supported for many years.

Here are some of the stories of the women I'll be running with. They have kindly agreed I can share them, and they explain much better than I can why this is such a worthwhile endeavour:

"Taking on this challenge has little to do with the act of running itself and everything to do with owning my story and showing gratitude to the people without whom I would not be here, let along be brave enough to share it."

"In 2019, I experienced severe emotional, mental, physical and sexual abuse by my ex-partner, to the point that I didn't want to be here anymore and felt I deserved it. I am now finally living my life how I should have been doing for the last five years, I feel happy where I am and how far I've come. I am not a victim. I survived."

Their stories are not unusual. One woman in four will experience domestic abuse at some point in her lifetime. On average two women are killed each week in England and Wales by a current or former partner.

Refuge is the largest single provider of specialist services to survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based abuse and runs the freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline that provides the first step to women escaping abuse. 

 By kindly sponsoring me today you are helping to save and change the lives of thousands of women and their children. You will also be helping to remind me while I trudge along in the cold and dark of winter training that this is a good thing to do! Thank you.