I'm running the Paris Marathon 2025 for Dementia UK in memory of my dad, Garry.

When I was 16 years old, my Idol, my dad, was diagnosed with frontal temporal and vascular dementia. As a family, we never really had time to come to terms with what was happening around us. We just seemed to transition into this machine that cared for my dad, as he fought his own battle. My family used humour as a coping mechanism to deal with the many bad days that followed. We felt that it helped to make the bad days better.

I can't put into words how heartbreaking it is to see a person that you have looked up to and admired for your entire life, slowly lose his own identity to this horrible disease.

In the months and years that followed my dad's diagnosis, he lost his ability to communicate and became a lot more dependent on myself, my mum and my sister to care for him. The one thing he never lost was his infectious laugh and his boyish charm! Everybody who knew my dad had amazing stories about him that my family still laugh about on a regular basis.

When my dad passed away in 2021, my entire family and those who knew him closely were left with this incredible void, knowing that we wouldn't hear his infectious laugh again or be able to make jokes with him.

There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of my dad or think about some of the stupidly funny things he used to do, both pre and post-diagnosis.

The main reason I'm running the 2025 Paris Marathon for Dementia UK, is because, unfortunately, my family isn't the first and we're not going the last to have to go through the heartbreak and stress of losing a loved one in such a terrible way. Many families are facing this unbearable disease alone without the necessary support to help them get through the toughest times. Knowing that the donations that are made for this project are going towards helping families that are going through the same things my family have been through would be the most rewarding feeling.

Here is a little bit of information on who Dementia UK are and how they help families in need.

Dementia UK is the specialist dementia nurse charity. Their nurses, called Admiral Nurses, provide life-changing care to families affected by all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. They help people with dementia stay independent for longer, and support the people caring for them so they have the strength to cope with the bad days, and the energy to enjoy the good days. They have the time to listen and the knowledge to solve problems, helping families take back control when they are struggling.