Maria:

Here I am again, this time taking on a whole new level of challenge... running the TCS London Marathon.

Only last year, I decided to start with the Brighton Half Marathon in memory of Lottie, a girl who touched the hearts of so many and who passed only at the age of five.

This year, she wanted me to raise the bar and support Shooting Star Children's Hospices even further.

Shooting Star cares for babies, children, and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families across Surrey and London. Their work is so important and only relies on fundraising for funding, so I can't help but do my best to support it so they can continue to do the amazing work they do.

I will join #TeamShootingStar for 26.2 miles across London in April, and I ask for your help by donating to such a worthy cause 🙏🏻

Lottie, this one is for you again love ❤️

Maria xxx

Tracy:

After losing my Dad , my family home and a major foot surgery, I thought I'd hit an all-time low in my life.

I decided to take up running again to pull myself out of the black hole I was in. To begin with, I was running alone, so my daughter advised me to join a running group. And that's when I signed up for Sutton Runners: that small decision changed my life far more than I could ever imagine! I met the most wonderful people, who are amazing runners and also now my friends.

On my second week of running, I met Maria. We were both new to running, so we ran alongside each other. Sixteen months later, and with many races under our belts, we are now training together for the biggest race of our lives: the London Marathon.

As we have been a team since the beginning, it felt right to work together on a very important cause: raising funds for Shooting Star Children's Hospice.

Please dig deep and share anything you can, no matter how small.

We'll see you at the finish line!

Tracy 💕