I am running the London Marathon in April for Arthritis Care. I wanted to run for an arthritis-related charity to raise awareness that arthritis is not a disease suffered only by "old people".

Those who have known me for a long time will already be aware that my sister (who is 18 months younger than me) has suffered from arthritis all her life. She was a very talented rower at university but all the training put a lot of stress on her joints, specifically her hips and in 1996 she spent a rather grim Christmas in hospital in traction. The operation never really worked and she has walked in pain and with a stick ever since. She had her first hip replacement in 2010 aged 37. A second hip replacement is yet a possibility.

A marathon is not a distance that she would be able to tackle and so I am hoping that that thought will spur me on. I am aiming to run this race in around 3hr 50 mins as this apparently would make me "good for age" and the first time I have ever been good at a sport in my life! The more money I raise, the faster I shall try and run.

Thanks for your support. And please follow me on-line or come and wave me on in person on April 21st. All cheers and jelly babies gratefully received!