In April 2018, I will be running 26 miles around the streets of London in the London Marathon. I am running for a charity called ‘Action on Hearing Loss’. There are a number reasons why I am running for this charity. Action on Hearing Loss do extensive work in supporting those who live with hearing loss, deafness and tinnitus, and also help to fund research.  I myself wear two hearing aids and have tinnitus.I understand first hand how it can effect everyday life and the challenges it can present. Charities like Action on Hearing Loss help support individuals to find ways to cope with a hearing loss however profound, so that it doesn’t effect everyday life.

There are approximately 10 million people in the UK (1 in 6) who are living with some form of hearing loss, deafness or tinnitus. Living with a hearing impairment can present many challenges. It makes certain situations daunting, can reduce individual’s confidence making it difficult to communicate, and lead to individuals feeling isolated. Action on Hearing Loss does amazing work for people with all levels of hearing impairment, helping them to remove the barriers that living with a hearing impairment can cause.

From my own personal perspective growing up  with a hearing impairment has presented different challenges. In social settings it can be hard work and tiring to hear the conversation taking place around you. Simply the fear of mishearing someone and getting the complete ‘wrong end of the stick,’ can be stressful. Everyday scenarios, like group situations, can be hard work. Despite being able to lip read (not always accurately), hearing conversations in normal environments is a constant challenge, and many young people with a hearing impairment experience this.

Action on Hearing Loss do excellent research into tinnitus. Tinnitus can be described as a ‘ringing’ in your ears and can be very intrusive. It can be constant or intermittent and differ in severity. Living with tinnitus presents many challenges, causing problems from sleeping to depression. Charities like Action on Hearing Loss not only help those with tinnitus, but also help to educate people about hearing difficulties. By raising money for charities such as Action on Hearing Loss we can help find a cure for tinnitus.

I plan to do various fundraising events and many many many, runs all of which I will keep you updated on!

I am very excited to be running the London Marathon for Action on Hearing Loss. I hope to raise money for this fantastic charity, so that they can continue to support and help individuals and also to further their research into hearing loss, deafness and tinnitus. Any donation would be greatly appreciated, it will not only help running 26 miles a lot easier but crucially allow this charity to continue to educate and research!