UPDATE:
World Half-Marathon Championships: 1st wheelchair athlete.
Warwick Half-Marathon: only wheelchair athlete!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page - please read my story below.

In 2015, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) ran a nation-wide fundraising event on the 6th February. This date had particular pertinence to me - it was on that day, in 2011, that my dad suddenly dropped dead of a heart attack, aged 57. I set up a JustGiving page and shared my story, which had a phenomenal response. I even received a card from the BHF afterwards to say that my campaign had raised an exceptionally high amount of money. I was so grateful to all those people who read my story, who donated, who shared the story, who changed their own habits, or who spread some awareness as a result.

Last year, I said that I couldn't do a physical challenge like a sponsored run. I was too sick, but I commented that people might like to think about me desperately trying to figure out wheelchair racing if they wanted to imagine some physical suffering! I also told people about my own heart problems, which were causing me quite a lot of trouble at the time and for which I am now on daily steroid medication.

Well, I've now been training as a wheelchair racer for just under a year, and it's been amazing. I've made amazing friends and found a new lease of life. I've won medals, trophies and prize money. I've won races at distances from 100m to half-marathons. I've been able to get involved with charitable outreach projects, and I've raised money for charity.

This year, on the 3rd April, there's another BHF event - but this time, I am taking on a physical challenge: I'll be tackling a half-marathon in Warwick, where my mum grew up. The twist? It just so happens that 3rd April 2016 would have been my dad's 63rd birthday.

Having commemorated his death last year by sharing just how difficult it was, it feels really special that this year I can commemorate his birth - and, I hope, his life. It's also really special for me that it will be taking place in Warwick, because I have so many happy memories of being in Warwickshire with my brothers, visiting our grandparents. It may sound cheesy, but I feel that I will be able to represent all of them a bit: my dad, obviously. My grandma, who had several heart attacks. My grandad, who flew in Halifax bombers during the war, which led to me naming my racing chair 'Halifax'. 

This event will also commemorate something for me. It'll show me how far I've come: from the girl who showed up to training for the first few weeks with one arm in a sling and who wasn't really much quicker with it out of the sling, to the girl who has miles under her belt; who this time last year wouldn't have attempted wheeling 400m, let alone 13.1 miles.

That said, 13.1 miles is still quite a long way to go with arm power alone! I would therefore be so grateful for anyone who could see their way to sponsoring me, even if just a little. You only need a few people sponsoring £1 for it to add up to something quite considerable - and amongst the many things my dad was good at was knowing how quickly money mounts up!

So, thank you in advance - thank you, thank you, thank you.

p.s. the previous weekend, on 26th March (the day after my birthday!), I will be competing in the World Half-Marathon Championships in Cardiff, Wales. Please feel free to include sponsorship for that event under this banner!

Here is the spiel from JustGiving:

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.