I vividly remember 2013. It was the year I would finally turn 18 and I had just finished my first year of A levels and was very much looking forward to the second year. I had booked to go away to New York for the first time and I was counting down the days till I went. I was looking into universities and pondering over different courses and careers that excited me. And my mum got diagnosed with cancer.

Most upsettingly over the past two years both I and my younger brother have seen our mum in positions of such vulnerability and at times I have felt quite utterly hopeless with no idea what the next day could bring.
I now know exactly how chemotherapy is administered, the layout of the local hospital like my own home, exactly which hospitals offer what cancer treatment, how many hours are left in between each injection my mum has to self-administer.
But
I also know that right now my fridge at home has lots of medicine inside it, but a lot fewer than two years ago. I know that my mum looks really cool with short hair and I’m trying, and failing, to persuade her not to grow it back. I know that the only time we visit the hospital now is for check-ups and reviews. And I know that without Cancer Research UK, without their determination to find a cure for cancer, my mum might not have got the all clear

I get bored incredibly easily and the idea of pounding the pavements for hours bores me; however, I am very much up for a challenge and the London Marathon seems like a very good place to start for someone who despises running. But why stop there. I want to raise £2,000 for Cancer Research. I want more people to get the all clear like my mum.

I genuinely mean it when I say every single pound donated helps to motivate me. When I am running I think of everyone who has donated and the amazing work they are helping fund.
My mum ran the London Marathon just before she was diagnosed and I was so incredibly proud of her. These past few years have been absolute torture, but they have allowed me to see how incredibly strong my mum is and how lucky I am to have her and I truly am grateful for everything she does and for every day I get with her. I want her to feel exactly the same way about me when I cross that finish line next year knowing I’ve raised money for such an incredible charity.