In April 2027, my sister Chloe and I will be taking on the huge challenge of running the 10th anniversary edition of the London Landmarks Half Marathon for Colostomy UK, a charity that has become incredibly close to our hearts.

Our Auntie Cyndi underwent emergency surgery following a life-threatening bowel complication, during which she needed a colostomy. We were told her chances of survival were around 50%, and she sadly passed away on the operating table before being resuscitated. It was an incredibly traumatic time for our family, and we genuinely feared we were going to lose her.

Since then, Cyndi has faced a long and difficult recovery, including further surgeries and ongoing chronic pain. Adjusting to life with a stoma has also had a huge impact on her confidence and mental health.

Seeing what Cyndi has been through has opened our eyes to the challenges that so many people living with a stoma face, and we wanted to do something positive in her honour while helping others going through similar experiences.

So, we’re swapping our sofa for 13.1 miles and taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon — our first ever half marathon! 🏃🏼‍♂️

We’re hoping to raise £1,000 each for Colostomy UK and help support the incredible work they do to provide information, reassurance and practical support to people living with a stoma.

I’ll also be documenting our training journey over on my TikTok (@alfiedriver), sharing everything from our first runs through to race day — as well as using this challenge as motivation to finally give up vaping — so hopefully you can follow along with all the highs, lows, questionable running decisions and everything in between.

Thank you so much for supporting us. Whether you donate, share our fundraiser or simply follow our journey, every bit of support means the world to us and will help us turn a really difficult experience for our family into something positive.

We’re doing this for you, Auntie Cyndi. 🤍