If you’d have told me back in secondary school that I’d be running a half-marathon in my 30s, I’d have spat laughter in your face. The sheer thought of 1500m track on a Wednesday morning put the fear of the Devil into me. If I wasn’t such a goody two shoes, I’d have twagged every single PE lesson. But I was, so I instead spent those lessons putting on a brave face and praying for the hour to be over. Get me back to German class! 🤓 And here I am now, gearing myself up for the world’s biggest half-marathon. When you put it like that, boy it’s scary! 😳 For someone like me, with my anxiety, this is massive. But I’ve been enjoying my running recently and fancied a challenge, so I thought I’d be brave.

And what better reason to challenge yourself than to raise money for an amazing charity like Rainbow Trust, who offer vital support to families of children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses? We all know someone whose life has been flip-turned every which way possible by such a devastating illness, who could (or could have) benefit massively from the bespoke assistance (including transport to hospital appointments, sibling support, bereavement care and more) that Rainbow Trust provide. I’ll be honest, I considered several charities (and all very worthy) but when I scoured websites and social media platforms, Rainbow Trust just drew me in. The day that I decided to pluck up the courage to sign up and to make my final decision, my son came home from pre-school with a drawing of a rainbow 🌈 Decision made.

If you’re still reading this, thank you, we all know I love a good essay. If you’re able to donate, every penny is hugely appreciated. Otherwise, your support and encouragement means more to me than I could possibly put into another of my essays! 🙏🏻

This year, Rainbow Trust turns 40. Let’s play a part in making sure that they see another 40 years, and then some! 🧡