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Last August, after completing the Minster to Minster, our Ripon Runners annual club run from Ripon Cathedral to York Minster (44km), my gym partner and friend, Stuart Martin, told me he had always wanted to run a marathon and had promised himself he would do one before turning 70. I immediately told him I would help him make that happen.

Only after agreeing to do a marathon with him did I asked when his 70th birthday was. His answer: August 2026.

Since then, Stu and I have trained consistently through the dark, cold winter mornings, showing up when it would have been easier not to. On 17 May, we take on the Chester Half Marathon as part of the journey.

As there is no suitable official marathon for us to enter before Stu’s milestone birthday on 8 August, we have decided to create our own challenge. On 25 July 2026, we will run the Minster to Minster route as 'Stu’s Marathon before 70'.

Alongside the many runs and kilometres, we have each chosen to support charities close to our hearts. Stu will be raising awareness for Ripon Community House, a wonderful local charity, while I will be supporting a cause deeply meaningful to me back in South Africa: Jes Foord Foundation.

I will never forget receiving a phone call from a friend on Sunday evening, 2 March 2008, telling me that our childhood friend, Jes Foord, had been the victim of a horrific gang rape while walking dogs with her father. Her dad was brutally assaulted and tied to a tree, before being forced to witness the attack on Jes.

From unimaginable trauma, Jes has gone on to build the Jes Foord Foundation, a non-profit organisation that empowers survivors, educates communities, and raises awareness around rape and sexual assault. Her courage has created hope for so many others. Here is a talk she did at Westville Boys; High School to more than 1000 boys as part of her Learner Awareness Impact Programme. Her and her team present age appropriate presentations for children from as young as 5 years old. https://www.facebook.com/terencerobertsonfilms/videos/794826642983697/?s=yWDuG2&fs=e

The statistics in South Africa are heartbreaking. Someone is raped every 17 seconds. As a teacher having taught many students to read and write, one statement especially stays with me: 'A girl born in South Africa has a higher chance of being raped than learning how to read.'

This Friday, I begin A-K-A-Day-in-May. I will complete at least 1 kilometre every day for the 31 days of May, aiming to raise £11.16 per day, enough to fund one free counselling session for a rape survivor through the Jes Foord Foundation. My target is £350, which would provide 31 counselling sessions.

Throughout May, the awareness campaign invites people to walk, run, or cycle 1 kilometre each day for a rape survivor and share their journey on social media to help spread awareness. Check out Jes Foord Foundation on Strava https://strava.app.link/kyTIH7ryG2b

If you are able to donate financially, I would be incredibly grateful. If not, please consider sharing this page, visiting the foundation website, or supporting in another way: https://www.jff.org.za/

The foundation also runs The Handbag Project, delivering 400 handbags each month to survivors following an assault, with 60% of those bags going to children. https://www.jff.org.za/handbagproject/

You can also become a JFF Champion by making a monthly donation of R100 / £4.46. https://www.jff.org.za/donate/

Every kilometre matters. Every conversation matters. Every donation matters. Thank you for supporting this journey to make a difference.

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