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This year, I had set myself a goal to finally complete a 5K non-stop run and Laura was aiming to complete a 10K. However, events of the summer had set us both back and injuries from a car accident kept us out of the gym for a little while. Instead of re-focusing on our personal goals, we have decided to turn a negative event into something POSITIVE and raise some money along the way for a very special cause. As most of our family and friends will know, music is a very big part of our lives. After all, it was our shared love of it that brought us together!

Why Jessie’s Fund?

When we learnt about Jessie’s Fund, a York based charity with Lancashire connections, we knew it was the charity that we wanted to do something positive for.

The charity was set up in memory of Jessica May George; A lively, bright and musical, nine-year-old who was suddenly diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumour. Jessie’s Fund was established to meet the cost of treatment planned for her in the USA and was named by Jessie herself, but she died in May 1994, just five months after her diagnosis and before managing to travel to the States.

Jessie’s Fund now helps children with serious illness, complex needs, and communication difficulties through the therapeutic use of music all over the UK. Music can provide a powerful and profound way in which children can express themselves and connect with the world around them. Before Jessie’s Fund there was no music therapy in any children’s hospice: it was a gap in the care of life-limited children which seemed to be crying out to be filled. Jessie’s Fund has now equipped all children’s hospices with musical instruments and has established part-time music therapy posts at most of the hospices for children in the UK. Our hope is to raise as much money as we can for such a worthy cause.

Our 13 Run Challenge:

My part of the 13 run challenge is to complete 6 x 5k organised runs over the next 13 months. I know for some, 6 x 5k runs may not sound like a huge challenge. However, for me it has always felt unachievable. With a running style that looked more like Tigger and little legs that couldn’t cope with the shin splits I felt that running a 5k without walking wasn’t possible…. To be honest I’m now 5 years in and I actually still haven’t completed one single non-stop 5k run.

However, for those of you that know my other half, giving up in our household isn’t an option! So I got my gait checked, got myself some pretty looking running shoes and got back on the treadmill. I aim to do my first ever 5k run at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park 5k event on the 14^th October 2018 and I will post details of my other runs throughout the year on the blog. Wish me luck xx

Laura’s part of the 13 run challenge is to complete 5 x 5k organised
runs and 2 x 10k organised runs over the next 13 months – she’s got longer legs so surely it’s only fair she has to do more!! 😊

We are not aiming for time, just no walking!

We hope everyone can support us on our 13 run challenge and
help us raise some money for a really great charity!!

Lex and Laura

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