On 29th April 2023 I will be running 106km continuously around the Isle of Wight. I am doing this in memory of my stepdad  Steve who passed away in February 2022 after a brave battle with cancer.

When I first met Steve I was 7 years old. He would take us all out in his convertible Mercedes and show off his new trainers which were only available in America. Those were more peaceful times for him and a few years later the family had grown by two with the addition of my sisters. This, of course, meant America had to be traded for the Pembrokeshire coast and his exclusive trainer collection never grew larger than the one pair. If I could describe Steve in one word before he fell ill it would be content. He had his hobbies, nothing seemed to bother him, and he never moaned about things. Now I'd describe him as strong. Every single day of his illness he would push on even when it required all his energy to perform everyday tasks. Steve liked to run on the treadmill in the garage which is my idea of hell. I’ve been enjoying running for years now but being around Steve battle his illness emphisised how lucky I am to be able to run. He became desperate to get himself back outside planting pots in the garden. So since then, when I run, I feel grateful that I am able to do it and think about how much Steve would have liked to run again

 Steve had a tumour in his brain and in his kidney. He battled on but by February 2022 the illness had taken his life. Throughout all this Steve and all his loved ones remained hopeful. Even for such a severe illness there were treatments options, the majority of which didn't exist 20 years ago. The more this illness is researched, the more treatments that become available and the more stories where people’s hope of recovery become a reality. There will be a day where we beat cancer.

Thank you for reading this far. If you can, please sponsor my run. I've never attempted anything on this scale before and anyone who knows me knows how much of my life I'm devoting to this challenge.  Sharing my fundraiser with your friends would also be a massive help.