Hi everyone :)

This October I'll be running the London Royal Parks half marathon for Alcohol Change UK!!! Alcohol Change UK is an incredible organisation that is working towards a world with no serious alcohol harm--through campaigning for better and more support for people, advocating for people affected by addiction, and collaborating with support providers to get people the help they need. 

This cause is super close to me as for the last year and a bit, I've been in recovery myself. That feels scary to say on here (!) knowing this will be on the internet and people will see it, but it also feels quite relieving to say it. A huge part of my recovery is working through the shame and guilt I feel around being in recovery in the first place. The stigma around addiction isn't just unhelpful and misleading, but it's really dangerous as it can stand between someone struggling and getting the help they deserve. Privately, I've come a long way in coming to terms with being in recovery, but in the wider world it's definitely something I still hold a lot of shame and anxiety around, and I really want to change that. So, being open about what this run means to me feels like a step in the right direction!

Without a doubt, deciding to recover from addiction is the hardest thing I've ever done, but I feel so lucky and happy to be here doing it now. Recovery has honestly made me feel like I've come back to life in a lot of ways, so to celebrate that I wanted to do a big exercisey thing!! I want to run this for anyone out there who's struggling through addiction and mental illness; for my friends and family who are the main reason I'm where I am today; and for myself!!! because I'm really proud to be getting better and doing things which I just couldn't have done before feels really special and exciting. 

Thanks if you read this far, and if you'd like to sponsor me and donate anything you can to Alcohol Change UK, that would be incredible!! No worries if not!!! Thank you :)