Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.

Cancer has touched most of our lives at some point, either directly or indirectly.

In 2012 I lost one of my best friends to Cancer.  I also witnessed Cancer take the lives of two other dear friends last year and of family members and other friends over the years.  And at present another dear friend of mine is undergoing an operation and treatment for breast cancer.  Thankfully her prognosis is positive and I also know people who have survived Cancer and are continuing to live a great life.

Losing Emma in particular prompted me to think about my own mortality, the fact that none of us knows what is ahead of us and, the most scary thought of all for me, the fact that life is so fragile and illness can strike any one of us at any time. 

Emma passing away had such a profound and intense impact upon me that I started to become depressed but realised I needed to do something about it and I knew that Emma wouldn't want me to feel the way I was feeling.

So I began to slowly but surely get fit. I started running, swimming, Zumba and walking.  A year on from when I started to embark upon this journey, I have set myself my first personal challenge - my first half marathon - to raise money for Cancer research, a cause that Emma supported. 

There will be other challenges too - for example, in 2015 I will be tackling Mount Kilimanjaro with a team of friends who have also lost precious and special people to Cancer. 

I completely understand and appreciate that money doesn't come easily for the vast majority of us and that we're all constantly being asked to donate sums of money for one cause or another.

No one can support every cause for which they are appealed to for sponsorship and I am just as aware of that as everyone else.

If you feel passionately about and/or have been affected by Cancer and wish to support me throughout my upcoming events, then all contributions will be so very gratefully received I can assure you.  Even one pound counts and is an important and valued help towards the work that is being carried out by Cancer Research.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Mel