In the bustling city of London, a bright and bubbly young woman headed out for the night to meet friends, and her life changed forever.

After being drugged through her drink being spiked in a pub, she was taken somewhere by a male stranger against her will, raped and left semi-conscious on the ground outside in the middle of nowhere.  The perpetrator has never been identified.  

In the aftermath of this traumatic experience, she had thoughts of suicide and turned to prescription and illegal drugs to try and numb her feelings.  She left her home in London and struggled to cope with daily life.  

Five years on, that young woman is taking back control and, with the aim of raising funds and awareness for Rape Crisis, is now training to take part in her first run - the Windsor Women’s 10k. 

That brave young woman happens to be my cousin, and I am so proud that she has taken this step that I too have signed up simply to run alongside her in a show of support.  

It takes a lot of courage to speak out after experiencing something so horrendous, but to channel those feelings towards something positive is nothing short of inspirational.  

As I live in Scotland, I have decided to put any funds raised through the run to the Rape Crisis Scotland Helpline.  

No-one should have to experience rape but it’s comforting to know there are people out there who can offer support and guidance if a similar nightmare ever affects you and your family.  

Thanks for reading this far.

Hannah x