This year has been a bit of a whirlwind for me. In June, I graduated from Durham University with a degree in Primary Education. Then, I started my first teaching job in the trust that supported me through my training and the school that nurtured me through my final-year placement — it’s been both exciting and a little surreal. But the biggest surprise of all? I took up running.

I never saw myself as a runner. In fact, back when I entered the Great North Run ballot, it was mainly because a friend of mine had just completed the run herself. I carried on seeing things online about how such a small minority of people ever complete a half-marathon and to be honest, I didn’t really expect to get in. When I received the email saying I had a spot, I suddenly realised that I needed to start training! At that point, the idea of running more than a mile without stopping for a breather felt slightly daunting.

My first 5K was on October 7th, and I finished it in 42 minutes. Honestly, I was pretty impressed with myself at the time. Just a couple of months later, I’ve just achieved my personal best of 26 minutes and 25 seconds. I can’t believe how much I’ve improved in such a short space of time — it’s been an exciting challenge.

As I get ready for the Great North Run, I decided that I wanted to raise money for a charity that is going to help the local community and the children in the area where I teach so I have decided that I will be raising money for Yarm Wellness, a fantastic local charity that supports families in my community.