Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Most people know that I love running but they don’t know the challenges I face every time I run. In 2013 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) after an emergency admission to hospital in Edinburgh. I came within 48 hours of having to have most of my bowel removed but many tests and anaphylaxis later I was allowed home practically rattling because of the number of medications I was on! 

There is no cure so I’m on lifelong treatment and am very lucky to have pretty much been in remission from those dark days. No day goes past without problems as have secondary conditions from UC too. At the start I couldn’t walk 100m and for a couple  years after, running was a no-no due to the jiggling effect on my bowels 💩. Since then I’ve been able to run more and more but my diet is still controlled, my bowels still sometimes act up mid-run and I will always get chronic fatigue. 

I’m I choosing to run Belfast Marathon because it will be the ultimate challenge for me. I’ve only ever run half this distance before and I will be battling through the 💩 for all the times I couldn’t walk 100m, was too tired to go out with friends (sorry about that) and to prove to myself that just because my body isn’t perfect, doesn’t mean that should stop me doing something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. 

Crohn’s and colitis are a charity which offers me and those around me a lot of help and advice about understanding and managing my disease. This has really helped me regain a lot of confidence and control to become the girl I am today. 

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 Crohn's and Colitis