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For those of you who know me, you know how much I enjoy my running. Eleven years ago I completed the Nottingham Marathon and swore I'd never do another! Still, I continued to enter the general ballot for the London Marathon and was always quite relieved to get a rejection - but this year I got a place! I am in! And I can't wait to be on the start line of the second biggest marathon in history, a mere 26.2miles to run, walk or crawl but I will do it.

Why am I running the London Marathon? 

My dad, my hero has had a really tough five years with various eye surgeries at Sunderland Eye Infirmary to try and improve his sight. One eye had extremely limited sight and the retina of his 'good' eye then detached itself and despite two operations it was unable to be reattached resulting in my dad becoming partially sighted, almost blind. The Eye Infirmary team and his consultant Mr Steel provided my lovely dad with the first class care he so deserved and for that I am forever grateful.

Day to day life for my dad and others with full and partial sight loss is difficult, often lonely and dark, something we can never imagine. I hope to raise funds that the Eye Infirmary can be use to continue the pioneering work they do in helping those live with sight loss.

Thank you so much for your generous donations in difficult times.

Helen xxx