Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

It's always been a massive dream of mine to run the London marathon and there are two significant motivations for wanting to do so. 

Having started my personal fitness journey this year, I wanted to find something substantial to work towards in order to keep me on track with weight loss and allow me to generally improve my fitness. Having started back in April this year and weighing in at 125kg (almost 20 stone!) I've spent the past six months training hard and eating well (most of the time) in between running a successful gourmet marshmallow company and looking after two very naughty Beagles!

The picture above shows my progress to date with a current weight loss of 30kg, bringing my current weight to 95kg (just under 15 stone) My target weight is 80kg and I'm confident that as I enter and complete my marathon training over the next 7 months, I'll be able to smash my goals.

The reason for choosing to run for Meningitis Research Foundation is because of my own first hand experience with meningococcal septicaemia. 

There are not many things I remember from my childhood, especially the very early years, but there's one moment as a four year old that stands out more than anything else.

I remember laying in bed with the sun beaming through the blinds, I could hear my family in the garden enjoying the beautiful weather and I was upset because I couldn't be out playing too, I guess I felt like I was missing out on all the fun! It was a Sunday lunchtime so my parents called the doctor for some advice - they were told it was probably just a tummy bug. 

I suppose I should take this opportunity to thank my bladder, as it was the fact I got up to go to the toilet that quite literally saved my life. It was at this point that my parents noticed a rash.

They immediately called the doctor back who came straight out to our house, his first words were 'looks like we've left it too late'. He gave me a shot of antibiotic and told my parents to take me straight to the hospital as it would be quicker than waiting for an ambulance. 

Once at the hospital, my parents were told that at that time they didn't know if I would survive, and if I did, it was likely I would loose limbs or be profoundly deaf. 

My Mum tells me that the hospital staff were amazing and despite being very, very poorly and in hospital for a week, I made a quick recovery - I was extremely lucky. 

Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as I was and meningitis affects 5 million people every year. Out of those 5 million, 1/10 people with bacterial meningitis will die, and 2/10 people will be left with an impairment or brain injury.

Please dig deep and donate to this incredible charity - let us defeat meningitis, together. 

Thank you,

Ollie x