I’ve been lucky enough to have the pleasure of growing up around dogs. I’ve always known just how incredible they are — the companionship, love and happiness they bring and the amazing bond they can have with people. But a few years ago, my family’s experience with one very special dog gave me a completely new appreciation for the incredible work and support dogs can offer to people with sight loss.

My parents were lucky enough to adopt Dusty, a wonderful Labradoodle, from Guide Dogs who sadly hadn’t made it through his training.

When they met with Dusty’s guide dog handler, they were told that he was quite an anxious dog. He refused to put on his harness and, sadly, had to be withdrawn from his training. Dusty then spent some time in a foster home while Guide Dogs searched for the right permanent home for him — one without children and with not too many visitors.

That’s when Dusty came into our lives.

He is now the most wonderful, happy dog who absolutely loves to play, have fun and enjoy life 💙

Through Dusty, I learnt so much more about Guide Dogs and just how challenging, time-consuming and expensive the training process is. I also learnt that even when a dog doesn’t become a guide dog, the care and support provided to find them the right home can make such a huge difference.

That experience has made me want to give something back.

So, in 2027, I’ll be taking on the London Marathon to raise money for Guide Dogs! 🏃‍♀️🦮

For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’ve never really considered myself a runner 🏃‍♀️

I first started running in 2018, when I ran the Race for Life in Bristol with my friend Amy. I found running the 5k route really challenging despite the training, but little did I know that the following year I’d be running the Bristol 10k and getting my 5k PB.

It wasn’t until I moved to Portsmouth a few years later, in 2021, that I properly discovered parkrun and met a lovely group of parkrun friends. Back then, I was very much a fair-weather runner and didn’t quite have the weekly motivation to get out of bed every Saturday before 9am!

Fast forward to now, and I’ve run my first ever half marathon — the Great North Run in 2024 — completed my parkrun Alphabeter challenge and regularly plan my holidays around parkruns. So far, I’ve managed to fit in parkruns in Australia, the US, Poland and Denmark! 🌍🏃‍♀️

For some reason, running a full marathon now seems like the natural next step…

I’m super excited to start training, even during the dark cold months of the year, and I’d be incredibly grateful if you could support me and Guide Dogs by donating whatever you can.

Thank you so much for supporting my marathon journey and this amazing charity. Every donation really will help. ❤️

And, of course, this one’s for Dusty. 🐾

And if you're wondering who the crazy black Labrador is in the cover photo, that's my dog Enzo

And for anyone wondering about the fantastic work that Guide Dogs do:

Every day, 250 more people join the 2 million already living with sight loss. This number is expected to double by 2050, making the work of Guide Dogs more important than ever.

With your support, Guide Dogs can continue providing life-changing services including guide and buddy dogs, mobility training, education support, sighted guides and much more — helping children and adults with sight loss to live actively, independently and well.

Your donation, no matter how big or small, could make a real difference. For example:

🐾 £125 could buy a starter kit for a new guide dog owner, containing everything they need to start life with their new dog.

🐾 £451 could provide the parents of a child with a vision impairment with ten sessions of support.

🐾 £1,000 could help an entire family attend a Guide Dogs Family Weekend, where they can access specialist support and meet other families in similar situations.