I celebrate my 50th birthday this year and thought a wonderful way to mark this would be to fulfil my ambition to run the London Marathon. I wanted to ensure that I did so to raise monies for a wonderful charity and if you do feel able to support me in any way at all, it will be very much appreciated.

"A Marathon is an event where everyone is equal and ordinary at the start but a legend at the finish"

 Every 20 minutes a child is born with genetic changes that cause symptoms by the age of 16. The disease is debilitating and there is no cure, lives are cut far too short. The Lily Foundation supports those families affected, raises awareness and funds vital research to find a cure.

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.

Many people have sponsored me online via the JustGiving website but I have also received generous donations from Andrew and Nina Baird and James and Lesley Willis, for which I am very grateful.