I very nearly jibbed out on doing this due to lack of training, fear of not completing it and knowing that it will be hard and a struggle. Then I remembered it is not about me - it is about completing this challenge (regardless of time and place) and raising money for a special charity close to my heart, it is about the people and lives that the charity helps -who face much greater challenges on a daily basis - and it is about remembering how the charity came about, illustrating how great things can come from true adversity and loss.

The Royal Parks half marathon will take place just 3 days before the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombing. 202 people tragically lost their lives that night. My dear friend Polly lost her husband, Dan, her childhood friend Annika and 7 other friends - she had been married for only 5 weeks - and was the only survivor of her table of 10.

Polly is a survivor. Somehow she was not knocked out in the blast and managed to get onto the straw roof from where she ran to safety - on fire. Some touring Aussie Rules footie players came to her aid and kept her alive until they could get her to Sanglah and then she was flown to Brisbane where they saved her life - she suffered 43% burns.

Polly is a doer and a fixer. She had to make something good come from this, had to have purpose from the misery and loss, to help others and decided to raise money for burns survivors. It will be the 20th anniversary of the charity next year during which time it has raised over £2.5m and is one of three major burns charities in the UK. They have helped countless burns survivors rebuild their lives and provide financial and emotional support to them as well as donating to improve the NHS services by providing a wide range of aftercare support.

Polly is an inspiration. She lives with the memory of Bali, she lives with her burns and their lasting impact - and she grabs life with an energy and enthusiasm that is inspiring to all. So all of this is why I will be making my steady way through the Royal Parks on the 9th October, why I will finish it and why I hope that you will donate some sponsorship to spur me on, get me to the end as it is for a great charity.

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.