If you've known me for a while, then you have probably followed the journey I've been on over the last few years, from morbidly obese chain smoking, wine swilling couch potato to non smoking, occasional drinking, active but still overweight fitness enthusiast!

I love a good challenge and have entered the London Marathon ballot for the last few years and breathed a sigh of relief when getting my rejection email.  But not this year!  Having received my rejection, I sought a charity place.  What is so different this year?  It's the call of the London Classics medal - given to those who have completed Ride London 100 mile bike ride (tick), Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim (tick) and the London Marathon.  I want to prove that with determination and training, the most ordinary of people (in terms of fitness) can achieve extraordinary things.

I'm looking forward to the day.  Having watched friends in three marathons, the atmosphere is absolutely amazing, just imagine running for all that time to constant cheering and clapping.  I'm not looking forward to the relentless pavement pounding in the cold dark winter nights though!

To make it all worthwhile, I'd really appreciate any donations you can afford as I am really grateful to Deafblind UK for giving me a place and so want to thank them by not only meeting the target they have set me, but absolutely smashing it.

Deafblind UK (DBUK) is a national charity supporting people with combined sight and hearing loss to live the lives they want.

Being deafblind does not necessarily mean that you are totally deaf or blind and many individuals have some residual sight and\or hearing. It’s more about the combined impact of having more than one sensory impairment and how this affects your ability to communicate, access information (from birthday cards to electricity bills), and how you get around.

Many people with deafblindness can feel isolated, lonely and embarrassed about their condition. The condition falls broadly into 2 types; Congenital deafblindness where a person has sight or hearing impairment since birth caused by premature birth or infection and Acquired deafblindness which is where a person becomes deafblind through an accident, trauma or through ageing. Whatever the reasons, being deafblind can leave people detached from their friends, family and communities and in many cases feeling very alone. Imagine only seeing shadows or hearing muffled music, Imagine not being able to see your partner or your children’s faces, or hear their voices? Imagine being afraid because your two main senses are disappearing, with little chance of them ever coming back? 

Losing your sight and hearing can be frightening whether as a child or later in life so at Deafblind UK our team of experts is here every step of the way to reassure, advise or just listen. We have been supporting people with dual sensory loss for 90 years and empowerment is at the heart of Deafblind UK. Through our range of free services we help people with deafblindness to build confidence and independence; continuing their lives beyond sight and hearing loss. There are nearly 400,000 people with deafblindness in the UK and this is estimated to rise to 800,000 by 2035 – together we can make a difference, together we can help people with deafblindness  live the lives they choose, with dignity.