With a bit of gentle persuasion, and a lot of alcohol, Ali Burke convinced me to enter the 2010 New York Marathon! I will be running with Ali and Caroline Strathdee, 2 great friends from school. I am running to raise money for the Beatson Cancer Care Centre in Glasgow.

This is a cause that means a lot to me as in June 2009 I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer. After an operation and two gruelling rounds of Chemotherapy I am a year down the line and in remission (see photos of before, during & after Chemo!). With this in mind it is time to give a little back. The treatment I received in the Beatson was fantastic and the staff made what was a horrible time so much easier. Therefore, raising awareness and funds for the Beatson (and getting fitter in the process) is something that I'm really committed to.

Please give as much as you can!!

Caroline is raising money for Motor Neurone Disease Scotland, another fantastic cause. I know many of you would like to sponsor Caroline too, so here are her JustGiving page details: http://www.justgiving.com/caroline-strathdee

We will let you know how we get on! xx

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.