Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Just over 2 years ago, I could barely run 100 metres without being doubled over with a stitch and vowing never to try it again. Inspired by the efforts of friends and family, such as my brother Matthew finishing the Great North Run in 2015, I decided to give it a proper go.

Slowly (VERY slowly) but surely, I started building up the miles on the treadmill and eventually even braved running outdoors. On New Year's Day 2017 I attended my first parkrun and the rest is history - a couple of 10ks and a half marathon later, I'm just about ready for the full 26.2 miles. 

I've had a huge amount of support from Wetherby Runners AC, who have emphatically disproved my ridiculous preconception that joining a running club would be like reliving awful school PE lessons. Instead, I discovered that runners are incredibly friendly, amazingly modest and always willing to give support and advice. 

The Children's Heart Surgery Fund is one of the club's nominated charities for 2018 and they offer fantastic support to children and adults living with congenital heart defects, and their families.

Putting myself through a marathon is nothing compared to what these people have to deal with every day. I hope that by pushing myself to achieve this I can help them, even in just a small way. Thank you very much for supporting this excellent 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.