Most of you have probably never thought of me as a "runner" - and I have to say I rarely think of myself as a one either. 4 years ago I couldn't even run half a mile, but since then I've really enjoyed choosing races, committing to a training plan, and working towards a goal that is physically and mentally challenging.

The London 2023 Marathon will be my third marathon, and I am running for the Canon Collins Trust.

The London Marathon helps to raise vital funds for the Canon Collins Trust's education work in southern Africa. They were founded in 1981 to assist South African political refugees in the UK with gaining the education denied to them under the apartheid system.

Today, the Canon Collins Trust is committed to fighting injustices such as gender-based violence, race-based poverty, and unemployment disparities in southern Africa, and does so by supporting the "leaders of tomorrow" who share this commitment. They support their activism through scholarships to study at universities in South Africa at the postgraduate level. 

Those receiving Scholarships use their knowledge, skills or academic research to find solutions to challenges that violate human rights and damage socio-economic conditions in the southern African region. Over the past four decades, they have helped 4,000 scholars who are spearheading change for the better – such as campaigning, policy work, and fighting legal battles all to protect human rights.