In the run up to my first marathon in October 2018, quite a few people were asking whether I was running for a charity and whether they could sponsor me at all. At that point my response was that I hadn't really considered sponsorship for any running I did up until then, and in any case I had probably left it too late to start fundraising anyway. However, this got me wondering which charities/causes meant a lot to me and the people around me, and for several reasons I settled on The Christie.

Having had several family members and family friends be diagnosed with cancer, some of whom losing their battle with the disease, it seemed a fitting cause to support. This showed to me the tremendous service provided by The Christie, not only to the patients themselves - in terms of the vast number of treatments and facilities offered, but also to their families as well.

This is to say nothing of the extensive clinical research and development that goes on as well - continuously aiming for a better quality of care and improving the patient/family wellbeing. I believe that it is massively important to maintain this advancement in medical understanding and technology in order to develop more effective treatments, and take us towards a future without cancer.

To take something like running, which is a big part of my life, and use it as way to raise money for a fantastic cause like The Christie is an amazing opportunity to show my support not only for the families I know that have been affected by cancer, but also the countless others I don't know that have been affected too.

So absolutely anything from pennies to pounds will go a long way to make a world of difference in the fight against cancer.

Thank you!!