Hi. Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my page. I feel I need to be totally honest with you - I am NOT a runner. So when I applied for my place in the Public Ballot back in April, I never expected to get in. And boy was I surprised when my Acceptance Pack arrived through the post in October! (Cue much disbelief/amusement from myself and my husband - who, incidentally, has run Marathons and actually knows what he's doing!) 

I started running for the first time in April and gradually built myself up to 4 miles. When I got my place in October, I embarked on the London Marathon official 16 week training programme, figuring I would need the extra time to allow for error (and incompetence) and am now, at the time of writing this in December, at the 8 mile mark. I've still got a long, long way to go. But I'm going out training 3 times a week and, dare I say it, I'm actually quite enjoying myself. So here's to the next 5 months of training. I can't wait for 22nd April to come around. You can track me live on race day on the London Marathon website virginlondonmarathon.com. My runner number is 5887.

So why did I choose Elliot's Touch? Because of the people involved - Elliot's family, their friends, the amazing volunteers who give up so much of their time and gladly so, because they really believe in this fantastic cause. If you're reading this page, then you may already be acquainted with the Charity, but in case you're not, this is what it's all about:-

Elliot was born on 26th January 2014 to Donna & Paul Stevens. He was a happy, content baby, but in November of that year, he was taken seriously ill and diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy - a condition in which the hearts ability to pump blood around the body is impaired by the enlargement and weakening of the left ventricle. He later showed signs of Mitochondrial Disease - caused by dysfunctional mitochondria (responsible for converting food into energy for the bodies cells). Like many others, we followed Elliot's harrowing journey through Donna's online updates, as she and Paul spent all their time at Elliot's bedside in Bristol Children's Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital. We were always encouraged by his amazing resilience to the never ending, invasive procedures and treatments he endured and were utterly dismayed and shocked to hear of his passing on 2nd March 2015 at just 13 months old. In June 2015 Donna and Paul set up Elliot's Touch - raising funds and awareness for Childhood Cardiomyopathy and Mitochondrial Disease.