Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In 1997 my Gran (maternal) was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. She went into care in 1999 and she died last year aged 91. While she died then, in many ways she died much earlier as the dementia took everything she was.

My marathon ambition didn't stem from that. It was from a friend suggesting ways I could get fit ("Why don't you run a marathon?"). Not having run since school, this seemed crazy. But I like the idea of challenging yourself, so with around a year to get in shape I decided to run the Dublin Marathon in October 2011.

Once I'd made that choice though, it was logical to try and raise money at the same time, and The Alzheimer's Society was the only charity I could choose.

I've set this page up very early (it's currently 6 months to the actual marathon), and I don't really expect donations/pledges till nearer the time. But it all helps keep me focused and on-track.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate.