I wanted to do something special for my 30th birthday, and with the Blenheim Triathlon being on my birthday and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research being the official charity, it seemed like it was meant to be. I think my mum was thinking more along the lines of a party!

Blood cancers have touched the lives of those I care about far too often recently, devastating the lives of the sufferers and their families and friends. Although survival rates for blood cancers are mush improved, there is still a long way to go and your sponsorship money will help fund vital research into finding safer treaments and cures for all types of blood cancer.

£50 will pay for a reseatch nurse for one day to support patients taking part in ground-breaking clinical trials.

£150 will provide patient information booklets to 45 blood cancer patients when they need it most.

£250 will pay for a week's worth of essential lab supplies to conduct research into new treatments.

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 now.