Hi there, I am running my ninth Marathon, The Antrim Coast Road Marathon on 30th June 2018. Running this race may not sound like a significant challenge given that I have already completed eight. However, my last one was over 4.5 years ago, as I struggled with Dublin Marathon 2013 both physically and emotionally before realising I was running it pregnant! That was my last race and 1 marriage and 2 children later, I‘ve decided to start from scratch again adapting to training plans, diet plans, training runs and dodging bad weather.

This will be a lot more difficult than before but I am determined to do it for myself, all my boys and for my eldest child’s nursery school, Ashgrove Nursery School in Newtownabbey.

The Nursery School provides early years education for 78 children and aim to provide exciting and stimulating learning opportunities for all their pupils from the wider community of Newtownabbey. Whilst Ashgrove Nursery School has been recognised by the Department of Education Inspectors as being Outstanding, and have won a number of awards for their practice and work in the Community, they, like any forward thinking school, are always striving to improve on their previous best.

Any monies raised will help the Nursery to develop their innovative Outdoor Play Initiative, which is fundamental for the development of young minds, will keep kids active, whilst also encouraging parents to stop for a chat at the end of the session whilst their children play. Win, Win, for everyone!

Any monies raised will go directly to the nursery and be a great motivation to keep me going throughout the race and take me over that finish line!