Jordan and I will be taking on the challenge of running the London Marathon on the 21st April 2024!

We will be running for The Scoliosis Association UK which is a charity that have previously supported both myself and my family when I was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2004 at 12 years old. 

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt before puberty. In almost all cases the cause is unknown therefore they are very much in need of funding to help continue their research. Although quite common, there is still little awareness of the condition and signs to spot it early - all the info on this can be found on their page https://sauk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/know-the-facts.pdf

At the age of 15 my curve had increased to 37 degrees, and due to the amount my torso had shifted over, doctors recommended I underwent surgery. Although there were many other benefits to surgery, being a young teenage girl I was most excited of the idea of having a straight back and what clothes I’d be able to wear, and had complete naivety to the operation and recovery I had ahead of me.

In my case they removed a rib to use in my spine, collapsed my lung and removed disks, these were then replaced with 5 screws and a rod. It was a long year in recovery, starting with small things like sitting up for a few minutes and then getting used to wearing a back brace for 6 months.

However, despite many ups and downs during this time, it has now been 15 years since of living life to the fullest and it has not held me back in any way. Like with any adversity, having the information to understand and speak with others is often the first big step to treatment. As something that affected my whole family, Jordan and I plan to share information throughout our training journey in the hope that this will help others to spot the signs, and show that running 26.2 miles is possible even after major spine surgery (I hope)!

Team Raby x