I've worked in the charity sector since October 2000 and cheered on runners in the London Marathon every April since then - in awe of their achievements. I've seen them go through barriers on the day and leading up to it in the training programme - I have always said I would never do it! 

But this year has been a challenging one for us all, professionally and personally and the impact on individuals and families living with the impact of the pandemic, and the incredible volunteers and fundraisers that have helped us when the pandemic impacted our fundraising and services have encouraged me to take on that never never challenge! 

The pandemic has resulted in a loss of £2.8m to our income in 2020/21 - that is half of our charitable spend for the year, essential funds for research and services. We have already had to loose great staff and reduce our work in a restructure to be sustainable. But we have not lost our ambition. I am proud to be the CEO of such an amazing charity, with incredible individuals and families who have told me their stories over the past 4 years, and driven our determination to find treatments and ultimately cures for rare and ultra rare conditions that are life limiting and can be life shortening. 

Muscular Dystrophy UK is the charity for 70,000 people living with muscle-wasting conditions. We are making a difference today, providing vital information and support to help people live as independently as possible. We are making a difference for tomorrow, accelerating progress in research and driving the campaign for access to emerging treatments. 

I have 7 weeks to get ready for this 26.2mile challenge. I'm starting from a really low base point - most of lock down for me has been sat at a desk working hard with our team to pivot services and activities, to support families with clear guidance and information and to raise funds and restructure a charity - my average step count was less than 400 a day! I also fractured my ankle at the end of December so I'm recovering from an ankle that can swell even after a yoga session! So my aim is to walk the Marathon in 8 hours - that's 3.5 miles per hour. This year will be different, there will be no route cleared and set in London with cheering squads and signposts, so I will share my plans as they are confirmed. 

Pre-COVID-19 Muscular Dystrophy UK's aim was to raise £250,000 from the London Marathon 2020 . A target which could help fund over 5,581 hours of ground-breaking research! Please do donate what you can to help support us as we wait for the London Marathon to return to the streets of London in October 2021.