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My challenge for 2018 is going to be the biggest and best I have ever set myself, mainly due to it being so close to my heart and because it is with my daughter.

I am running the 2018 London Marathon on behalf of Coeliac UK on 22 April 2018
Rhia will be running her own Marathon 26 miles over the 3 weeks before London and her last
0.2 miles will be with me crossing the finish line in London.

Our daughter Rhia was diagnosed at 9 years old with Coeliac Disease. We had, at that time, no knowledge to how debilitating this disease was and could not believe how ill it had made her. We are now a year into treatment and cannot believe the change in our girl. However this is a lifelong disease and she continually has to watch her diet ensuring no cross contamination, the slightest bit of gluten makes her so ill.

Eating out is very difficult, lunch on the go is a no no, at party’s we have to bring our own food and even school dinners can be difficult.

Rhia has been amazing and has embraced the change to her diet so well we are very proud of her.

The diagnosis was overwhelming and without the help of Coeliac UK we would have been lost. They provided the information we needed to help with understanding Coeliac Disease, they even have leaflets for children enabling them to understand exactly what is happening to their body and why they are so ill. They keep an up to date list of restaurants that are Gluten Free and have a food scan app that I have on my phone, we would be lost without this as we scan everything. It has also allowed Rhia to participate in choosing the right food for her.

As a thank you to COELIAC UK and to RAISE AWARENESS of this Life Changing Disease I hope you will support Rhia and me to help us raise as much money as we can.

Thank you so much in advance

Rhia and Gail xxx


‘Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition. This is where the immune system – the body's defence against infection – mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
In coeliac disease, the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them.
This damages the surface of the small bowel (intestines), disrupting the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.
It's not entirely clear what causes the immune system to act in this way, but a combination of genetics and the environment appear to play a part.
Coeliac disease isn't an allergy or intolerance to gluten.’

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