In 2019 I joined a courageous team of wonderful folk to climb Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Lewis Moody Foundation who fund amazing projects for the Brain Tumour Charity.  The inspiration for this challenge was Debbie, who sadly lost her battle with brain cancer just weeks after we returned from Kilimanjaro, leaving her two girls (same age as my boys) without a mum. Thousands more families will have been devastated by losing loved ones last year to this awful disease. This is because brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer deaths in children and adults under the age of 40 with around 16,000 people in the UK being diagnosed with a brain tumour each year. That's a lot of people whose lives are turned upside down and need support. This is where the Lewis Moody Foundation come in.  They fund the Children and Families Service who offer support to children, young people and families affected by a brain tumour diagnosis, and also organise a series of Family Days across the UK which give families  the chance to spend time together away from hospital, meet other families and enjoy a day out without having to worry about finances.

New research on brain tumours is also vital as it can improve patient diagnosis and treatment options. For example, many children with brain tumours will live the rest of their lives with the life-limiting side effects from overly aggressive chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments. This can include loss of balance, blindness or severe problems with hearing.  The Lewis Moody Foundation is  funding PNET 5, a pioneering clinical trial that aims to tailor treatments for children – improving quality of life while maintaining positive survival effects. This trial could have a life-changing impact for many children. 

So this is why I'm taking on climbing another mountain, albeit virtually to try and raise as much money as possible so the foundation can carry on with their amazing work.  Everest is 29.029 ft or 8,840m high and over the course of this lockdown I am going to run the equivalent  of this around the hills of Bath. I’ve done the maths and I think this will be feasible if I run up some hills every day with one rest day off a week. Each time I run, my handy Strava app will tell me what elevation I've achieved and I will tot this up.  It’s going to tough going but with the added incentive of some money at the end of it for this great cause, I'm sure that will spur me on!  Please, if you can manage a small donation that would be totally amazing.  Thank you soooo  so much.