Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I was born in Workington in Cumbria. As a child I loved to run and the sense of freedom that it brought. I enjoyed cross country at school and although I enjoyed team sports running was always my thing. I was never fast, but even then I could run happily for a long time. As an adult I run for enjoyment, the buzz it gives me  and it sets me up for the day. The older I get the madder my challenges! 

I consider myself to have been fairly fortunate in life. I live in Skipton, the gateway to the Dales and maintain close links with family and friends in Cumbria. I’m divorced, but have three wonderful adult stepsons and seven grandchildren. II had a key role in the upbringing of my two eldest grandchildren and I’m very proud of them. I want to inspire them to be the best they can in life and set themselves challenges. 

Throughout my working life I’ve been involved in supporting adults that have had  difficulties and have chosen the wrong path, ending up in prison, or developing drug and alcohol problems. Poverty and disadvantage are often factors in this and hence I’m a strong believer in economic and social justice. The work of the Brathay Trust in supporting young people and improving their confidence and self esteem is so important in terms of equipping them to deal with the challenges that life presents, especially if they have not had the best start. 

I ran my first marathon in London in 2002. I was persuaded  to run for Charity by a friend who had given up smoking and was using running to stop him relapsing.  I enjoyed the day, although stupidly I had nothing to eat beforehand because I was so nervous and looking back I’ve learned a lot about distance running since then. 

Since 2002 I’ve run  18 marathons including London several times. I remember different marathons for different reasons Florence was the wettest, Edinburgh was the hottest, Paris was very scenic. My friend broke her hip at Berlin and a seagull shat on me at Brighton. At the Yorkshire Marathon I helped a nervous newbie. Cologne had the best beer and I’m still waiting to do Amsterdam, which was cancelled because of Covid. Windermere, which I’ve done twice was the most undulating and the friendliest. 

During Covid  I really enjoyed doing  two virtual runs, from Lands End to John O Groats - 874 miles and the Wales Coastal Path - 870 miles. 

In June 2021 I did my first ultra  event Rat Race The Wall-  70 miles from Carlisle to Newcastle along the Hadrian’s Wall Path. It was a fantastic experience and I hope to do more. 

Without doubt the 10 in 10 will be my greatest challenge to date and I’m going to treat it with the respect it deserves, prepare well and give it my best shot. I’m resilient and determined to succeed.  If you can help my cause please donate. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.