**UPDATE ** New date for the half marathon is SUNDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2021

I HATE RUNNING🏃‍♀️. Always have. Despite being relatively sporty in the past I have always found running long distances tough. 

I originally signed up for this challenge in 2019 to coincide with turning 40 in May 2020. However, when COVID-19 struck, the big birthday came and went and the half marathon, along with most things at the time was cancelled. The future date was unknown and my motivation for training went straight out of the window. I last put on my running shoes in April 2020 and ran a 10k. Since then, I have only been running baths. 

But not any more. 

Now is the time to get back that motivation and declare my commitment to that pledge I made back in 2019. My motivation and drive will be sourced from the local charity Down Syndrome Liverpool, and my beautiful daughter Jessica who is 17 and has Down syndrome.

For those of you that don't know my Jessica, here's a brief outline on our journey so far.....

I was 23 when I had Jessica. She was planned and very much wanted from before she was even conceived. I had a perfect pregnancy, and there was nothing to suggest my baby wouldnt be the perfect little girl I'd go to bed each night and dream of. After the panic of getting her out as quickly as possible, I held her in my arms, looked in her eyes and cried. Not with sadness. With a heart bursting at the joy of meeting my daughter. I knew straight away that she had Down syndrome. I was stitched up and sent to the ward. Alone. The next day we had the diagnosis confirmed in a shockingly negative way and then told that she has a severe heart defect which will need open heart surgery at 9 weeks old. We were devastated for her. The child we had longed for could be taken away from us before we've even got used to her being around. Open heart surgery day passed in a blur  even though it was more than 10 hrs long. Her chances of surviving the next few days in intensive care were 50/50. But anyone that knows my Jessica  knows that shes a fighter and she got stronger and stronger and we were soon back home.

Things didn't work out between myself and her dad when she was around 2 years old but he remains a great supporter of her despite us all not living together. Being a single mum was extremely hard and very lonely at times but that brought me and Jessica closer. We have a rock solid bond and she has brought do much joy to my life.

She had to have further emergency heart surgery when she was 4 years old and this resulted in a pacemaker being fitted which she will wear for the rest of her life. The fantastic staff at Alder Hey has saved my daughters life twice and continue to make her heart beat every day. How could you even begin to thank someone for that?

We discovered Down Syndrome Liverpool just after her 2nd heart surgery. The charity holds a massive place in my heart. They fight every single day to enrich the lives of people with Down syndrome and their families. They provide education to health professionals, teachers, employers as well as parents and carers. The social events are a great way to meet other parents and I even met my partner Thomas through the charity nearly 12 years ago! His daughter Charlotte has Down syndrome, is the same age as Jessica and was also born with a serious heart defect which needed two lots of open heart surgeries alongside other long term medical conditions. And we have the first ever DSL baby together, Patrick, who is now 4 💙. Having 2 teenage girls with Down syndrome and a toddler isnt always easy but we know that we are supported fully by DSL.

So please, if you have any spare pennies give to this amazing charity and help improving the life opportunities of our loved ones with DS and if you're about in town on Half Marathon Day give me a cheer. I think I'll need all the help I can get! 😁😁