In April 2026, I will be taking on the huge challenge of running the London Landmarks Half Marathon for a special cause.

18 months ago, my daughter was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome. When a nurse first suggested this, it seemed so ridiculous, that I didn't really give it another thought. In any case, she had told me that if it was Tourette's there was no treatment anyway.

A few months later, feeling desperate, I looked up the symptoms of Tourette's and realised that actually this would make complete sense. I had to face the fact that, like many people, I was completely wrong about Tourette's and just thought it meant you swore a lot.

Since then, we have been on a huge journey as a family, and the one organisation which has really made a difference to us and been there to provide meaningful support has been Tourette's Action. In particular, they organise a series of summer events where people with Tourette's can meet others and enjoy activities together without any fear of prejudice or embarrassment. They are also able to take families and carers with them, as opposed to a residential school trip which could be incredibly daunting.

It is hard to put into words what it meant to our daughter to go to TicFest and have the support of the team from Tourette's Action, but it meant so much to her to meet other amazing children with Tourette's and to realise that she wasn't alone.

There is little or no NHS support for people living with Tourette's in our area, or in many other parts of the country, so we would be completely lost without Tourette's Action. I have therefore decided to dust off my running shoes and try to raise some money to help them in continuing to support others.

To find out more about Tourette's and Tourette's Action, please visit their website: https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/

No two people have exactly the same experience of Tourette's, but the recent film 'I Swear' provides a moving insight into one man's real life experience. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/i-swear

If you are able to make a donation, thank you so much, it really will make a massive difference.