I have decided to challenge myself and run the Brighton marathon on 6 April 2025!

I have never done anything like this before and having only started running in May 2024 I am slightly, well actually very, apprehensive. For those that know me, up until a couple of years ago I followed the life motto of “if I feel like exercise, lie down until the feeling passes”. This vision of exercise in my life was referred to at my wedding in the best man speech to a response of nodding agreement around the room I have never played sport, actively avoided any sort of PE at school and don’t particularly enjoy it now. That is why this is a challenge for me rather than something I enjoy doing that I would like to raise sponsorship for.

I have decided to do this to raise much needed money for two charities that have personally touched my life and continue to do so; The Lullaby Trust and Leukaemia Care.

When I was 3, my brother Ben who was 6 months old died. The cause was noted as Cot Death. This was my earliest life memory and has impacted my life both positively and negatively in so many ways during my childhood, adolescence and into adult hood. I constantly question what Ben would have been like as a 36 year old man, a brother and an uncle to my children. I will of course never know. Any ideal or thoughts are just that, they will never be realised and on family occasions I feel very keenly that there is a missing piece. The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice and emotional support for bereaved families. Their work is enormously valuable to those who are in receipt of it.

The second charity I am raising funds for is Leukaemia Care. My maternal grandfather died before my parents got married and I was born. He was 48. Our family has been forever impacted by this, particularly my late grandmother who never remarried and struggled with this loss for the rest of her life. My aunt, his eldest daughter, has been diagnosed with leukaemia in recent years. This has been devastating for her, her family and our wider family. However, unlike her father, she has been a lucky recipient of treatment arising from research and work carried out over the past 40 years to improve survival chances. Most recently she has benefited from a ground-breaking stem cell transplant from an overseas donor and although she is still struggling, she is recovering incredibly well.

It would mean a great deal if you would contribute towards my run. During my training regime, when things have become tough, the faces of the people mentioned above have popped into my head and have spurred me on. To know that lives of others could be eased as a result of my efforts is hugely rewarding. Thank you for anything you can spare.