Hi there! 

I'm Sophie, and I'm not particularly a runner. I was for a while, but not any more, anyway. But now, I'm trying to get into it once again for a great cause - the Girls Friendly Society. 

When I chose to run the London Landmarks Half, it was half for my own benefit - I needed a goal, and I believe I can do this, but more importantly, I also wanted to support an amazing cause that perhaps, in a lot of these races, doesn't always get the attention it could!

The Girls Friendly Society has supported young women and girls in various ways for 150 years, but today it runs volunteer-led weekly groups for girls, where every girl is valued for exactly who she is. I can't explain it as well as the charity can, so here's GFS explaining their approach: 

"Research shows that there is a steep drop in girls’ confidence, self-esteem and general wellbeing around the age of 11. While many organisations work with girls during their teenage years in an effort to rebuild what has been lost,  the GFS approach is all about working with girls to prevent that drop off, rather than reversing it. 

"By strengthening positive self-image and building good habits from the ages of 5-11, we believe it’s possible to equip girls with the resilience and tools they will need to sustain them through the challenging years to come." 

I wholeheartedly support this cause - I've suffered with my own self-esteem issues over the years - I still do, sometimes, so supporting something that helps girls build themselves up is a perfect way to throw myself into running the Landmarks Half.

If you're still here at the end, thanks for reading my spiel - whatever you may be able to give, large or small, I will wholeheartedly appreciate. 

Love to you all, and keep well,

Sophie