As most of you may know I have spent a lot of my time training, running and fundraising for charities since 2012 when I ran my first Marathon in London.  My inspiration to run and raise money was and still is my father - "my hero" raising money for Cancer Support charities due to Dad having bladder and lung cancer.

I count myself extremely lucky to have had 13 more years with dad after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer and then lung cancer a few years later - I wish I had spent more time with him during those last years.  I encourage all of you, if you still have your parents, your mum or your dad, call them today, tell them you love them, talk to them as long as they want to talk to you. Pick up the phone, don't text, call them.

I'll never forget 2020, like most of you - the year we wish to forget, the loss of so many people taken too young.  I myself ended up in hospital with COVID on my own death bed in the May, my son Hendrix was born in August, my father was given 48 hours to live in September only to make a complete U-turn after seeing Hendrix for the first time at the side of his hospital bed.  I also ran the virtual London Marathon in the October and again in 2021 because I had made a promise.

I had prepared myself to say goodbye to my father but it wasn't his time - It wasn't until Christmas day evening that dad started deteriorating slowly and by 28th December 2020 he had left us peacefully and was finally out of pain, however that year had drained me, it had bought me to my knees and I lost myself, a part of me had fallen off and I was completely empty, in fact I look back now and can see I lost myself way before.

The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you'll learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same and nor should you be.

Though a part of life, it’s not easy to navigate grief, everyone's grief journey looks different.  Grieving doesn’t make you imperfect. It makes you human.

I'm running the TCS London Marathon 2024 in April in memory of my father, family, friends and colleagues who have lost someone to Cancer, for everyone that is dealing with, living with this horrible illness.

I’m also going to cycle 200 miles every month from August 2023 to March 2024. Yes that’s right.  1,600 miles in total. What, I hear you say - are you mental I hear you ask.  Well yes, May be I am.