As so many of you know, I have been on a journey over the past two years. At nearly 19 stone at the end of 2016, I could never have imagined I would be here now, about to run my second half marathon!

I have decided to raise money for Greif Encounter. This is a wonderful charity which supports children who have lost someone close to them. 

Some of you will have known me when I was 9 years old and I lost my dad. It is a really strange time to look back on, I don't really remember much of it. I remember being sad, there being a lot of family around me... and then life went back to normal. It was like one chapter finished and another started. It sounds great.... but in reality, I don't think I grieved properly for quite sometime.

Over the following years, I would encounter moments of realisation when I would wonder who my children would call grandad, who would walk me down the aisle and even feel jealous of my friends with such strong relationships with their dads. For me, the grieving process became long an drawn out- it wasn't about missing a person, but more about missing out on what could have been.

I am honoured to be supporting a charity which helps children through these difficult times. Not everyone has the luxury of having their family around them. I can't imagine how different my life would have been if it wasn't for the constant support of my amazing mum. Going through any of this without her seems impossible to me. 

You can find out more about my chosen charity here: https://www.griefencounter.org.uk/ 

Any donation to help them achieve their awesome vision below would be much appreciated. It might just help me get through that hellish last 5km too :)

Our vision is that every bereaved child in the UK, and their family, receives access to high quality, professional support to help alleviate the emotional pain caused by the death of a loved one.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.