Melanie Gearing

milesofsmiles 4 London 2022!

Fundraising for Beat
£4,927
raised of £2,500 target
Donations cannot currently be made to this page
Event: London Marathon 2022, on 2 October 2022
London Marathon 2022
Campaign by Beat (RCN 801343)
On Sunday 2nd October our incredible team of runners are taking part in the prestigious TCS London Marathon to help end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders!

Story

In my late teens I suffered with Anorexia. I avoided social situations, ate a yoghurt a day and weighed over 3 1/2 stone less than I do today. In my early twenties I felt a failure when I no longer had the self-discipline to restrict and my disordered eating developed into bulimia. I gained a stone a year which led friends and family to believe that I had 'recovered' however my relationship with food and body image remained complicated. 

As an adult I have tried to disentangle my dysfuntional relationship with food and accept its role as fuel for life and my love of running with a priority to be fit, healthy and happy. There are times when I still struggle with how all consuming this can feel and the anxiety that ensues can be overwhelming. I suspect this may always be a work in progress.

As a mother I want to be able to model better choices for my family and for my daughter to know that who she is matters more than what she looks like. In a world so preoccupied with body image I hope that by running for beat I can raise awareness about how instrumental our relationship with food can be in terms of both physical and mental well-being. How our worth is not determined by our weight or size as ultimately happiness comes from within and begins with self-acceptance.

xxx


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About the campaign

On Sunday 2nd October our incredible team of runners are taking part in the prestigious TCS London Marathon to help end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders!

About the charity

Beat

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RCN 801343
Beat is the UK’s eating disorder charity. Our mission is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders. These serious mental illnesses ruin and, too often, take lives. Our Helpline is available online or by phone for anyone suffering, as well as their family and friends.

Donation summary

Total raised
£4,926.90
+ £935.73 Gift Aid
Online donations
£4,926.90
Offline donations
£0.00

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