To support my fundraising I am also selling raffle tickets for £20 (or 3 for £50) to win a PAIR of Virgin Balloon Flight vouchers which can be redeemed any day of the week at over 100 locations nationwide. There are only 60 tickets available so your chances are great. Please email me at mcguire.kirsten@gmail.com for more info.

So today I got up at 6 am after the clocks changed and headed to Hampton Court Palace for 8am. I then lined up with the other 3000 runners at the front of the Palace and set off on two laps and 13.1miles. With jelly babies and lucozade to keep me going I completed the course in the blustery wind and rain to earn my medal and t-shirt. Preparation for London Marathon in 4 weeks is almost complete.

Treloar's students don't want your pity. They want the chance to show what they can do, so I am going to achieve my goals to help the students achieve theirs.

I am completing the following challenges which are personal to me. I'll be the first to admit that I like a G&T or glass of wine or pint at the weekend, I'm not the sportiest person around and 12 months ago the appeal of running further than the end of the road (it's a short road!) was zilch......so in my own true style I've not fully thought things through and bundled all challenges together!

1. No alcohol for 60 days (25th OCtober to 25th December). I'll be sober throughout 5 family birthdays, special events, end of term, dinners and the lead up to Christmas. If you would buy me a drink or split the bottle, instead donate £5 or £10.

2. The Ash Ranges Wildman 10k off road trail run on November 22nd. A tough run on the sandy, hilly, muddy course of the army training ground.

3. The inaugral Hampton Court Palace half maraton (that's 13.1 miles!!!) on 29th March. My first ever race over 10k and I'm terrified!

4. The biggest challenge of all - the famous London Marathon on 26th April 2015!!!!

Thanks to your donations and support the students will be able to do more and achieve more than they ever imagined. Expensive yet vital adapted equipment can be purchased, specialist care funded and the cost of fun activities covered. Your donation means that essential funds can be directed to where they are needed most, fast! By providing beds for a student in discomfort after an operation they can speed up the recovery process,pay for a talented youngster to attend a sports training session or give a voice to a child without natural speech through a computerised communication device.

Treloar's needs £1.5million a year to provide equipment, opportunities, staff and resources for the children and between now and April 2015 I'm aiming to raise the meagre amount of £1500.

The volunteering opportunities I have experienced at Treloar's have opened my eyes and I can see what they can achieve, not what they can't achieve.

This is my chance to raise awareness and your chance to make a difference.

Many many thanks,

Kirsten