Last year I was overwhelmed with the support of everyone for taking on something I never expected to be so successful not only in donations for the charity that meant so much to me but also in achieving what I did. 

After swearing (and quite literally swearing) after crossing the finishing line with my hips and knees in spasm to NEVER do that again.....well, this is what this page is about. 

This charity is a bit more for me/us.

Signing up to the JCC challenge just before lockdown and Covid hit, I had no idea how bad the impact of it all would affect me. There are very few who know the extent of the "lows" that have taken over me at times over the last 2 years exacerbated by lockdown (plus other misfortunate life events) and this certainly isn't a topic I share openly or care people to know about at all. 
The influence social media has on us can both be positive and negative but at times when the worst is happening, this influence can be extremely damaging when lives on there are not what is reflected in your own personally. The obvious result of this is my own personal lack of social media sharing (and when I do its as satirical as I can make it-for this exact reason).

Through the absolute lows and days when the weight of what's inside your head can feel heavier than anything else, getting the stamina to go out and train as much as possible last year in the lockdowns 1 and 2 was an absolute battle, so the end result of actually crossing the start line and managing the finish line (in physical pain) was more than the obvious physical achievement that many people would have known. Doing the challenge for a close friend and raising the money for her charity was the single biggest factor that kept me getting out to do this and taking me down to the start line. The support from everyone encouraged every step of it through the kind donations. 

Having this to focus on both in training and the actual challenge was one of the few escapes from it all, so it was really a blessing in disguise when so little else was going on and so few things to look forward to when it all stopped in uncertain times. 

When the opportunity to join this challenge again with a friend came up, it was never a hard no. The thought to even want to take on something like this is truly amazing and I'd love to share the support/journey of this challenge. Although in a MUCH better place, the training still requires strength of mind and character to get our bodies over that finish line together. 

The charity isn't just for me but we agreed for both of us and our own reasons for doing so. 

The only thing now, is I don't have the ignorance when the killer hills are going to come up anymore :P

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.