Hi everyone!
Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my fundraising page. I know how mesmerising it can be at this time of year when all those requests for sponsorship come flooding in.
As many of you will know, I started running marathons in 2003, and have now completed eight all over the world. No one could be more surprised about this than me - I was always at the back of the pack in school cross-countries, and as a teenager, never in my wildest dreams, did I imagine that I would one day run 26.2 miles!!
This year, my plan is to attempt the London Marathon again as I have been given a "good for age" place. It's going to be even more of a physical and mental challenge than usual - our gorgeous little boy, Joshua Freddie Mustard came into the world on October, 18th 2007, and since then, I have been struggling to regain my fitness. So, my goal is to go from giving birth to running the marathon in 6 months, and to help me along the way, I have invested in a sports-chariot (a Nippersport) for my training partner, Josh, so that he can enjoy the ride! We often do training-runs in Richmond Park with my friend, Lisa and her baby, Hayley - these have been great as they have kept me motivated and focussed. In the last few weeks, I have also completed two half-marathons (Wokingham and Reading) with friends from the BBC Running Club, so I guess, I have climbed half of the mountain at least!
One of the reasons why this year's London Marathon is going to be so special is that my friends, Pete, Nusi and I have decided to raise money for Josie's Dragonfly Trust, a wonderful charity which raises money for children and teenagers with cancer. I came across Josie and her family when I was working as a producer at the BBC last year, and was very moved by their story. Josie was diagnosed with acute myloid leukaemia at the age of fourteen, and spent the rest of her life selflessly raising awareness about her disease and fundraising for other teenagers with cancer. You can read more about Josie's inspirational story here:
www.josiesdragonfly.org
So please sponsor me now and help Josie's Dragonfly Trust! Donating through this site is totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me and if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
Also, please take time to sponsor my fantastic team-mates, Pete and Nusi:
www.justgiving.com/petermetcalf
Many thanks for your support. Hope to see some of you on the big day!
Sarah
Special thanks to all my family and friends for their support - especially to Damian and Josh!
