Aged 51, 13 stone and have only ever walked around one ParkRun where I cried, felt inadequate and unfit, I have decided to run the London Marathon.

To say this is a big challenge is such an understatement. I hate any form of exercise and grumble around every step of a family walk. But every year I go along to London and watch amazing people run 26.2 miles and witness the outpouring of support and kindness. It has always felt life-affirming just to watch let alone run amongst it. The kindness, generosity and ‘goodness’ is palpable and that is why I decided that maybe just maybe, with a special coach and a year to train, I could be the other side of the barrier and just complete this one physical challenge in my lifetime.

I started training properly in July 2024. Training involved buying running shoes (the best bit – always loved a bit of shopping), learning how to work my Apple watch and discovering a world of podcasts. Everyone said the training was the hard bit and like all novices I never took this that seriously but oh my god, the HOURS, the miles, the plodding that I have done over the past 7 months has been extraordinary. I have trained 6 days a week – something that I am proud of actually, as for an old lady who has never done any exercise in her life, this has been a challenge in itself. This one race is not about 26 miles – I have already run 450 miles and I still have 12 weeks to go! This race involves hundreds of miles of running and I cannot stress how much every step is a battle for me.

Although I will have trained for over 9 months for this race, my goal is to complete the London Marathon in under 8 hours! It is to remain alive at the end and to get a medal and then I will hang up my running shoes and probably never run again.

So why this year?

If I really am going to put myself through all this then there must be a motive, a proper reason and a way of making every awful step worthwhile and to turn the negatives into something positive.

As most of you are aware, in November 2011 I discovered I was a carrier of the BRCA2gene mutation. I learnt there was a very strong probability that I would get Breast cancer, and my risk of ovarian cancer was also considerably raised. I had two very young children, and I was scared. I went on to have a preventative double mastectomy and oophorectomy and have remained fit and healthy, cancer-free and just so grateful for having the opportunity to protect myself from that awful disease.

My sweet little toddlers have now turned 18years and 16years. At 18, my daughter can now start the process to see whether she has also inherited this gene mutation. It will no doubt be a rollercoaster that will journey through fear, learning, courage like no other, and it will require strength from her as she enters adulthood. Prevent Breast Cancer have been the charity that my entire family have supported for many years – since we discovered that my sister and I were both carriers of this mutation. Prevent Breast Cancer continue to explore the behaviour of our specific mutation – looking at new methods to inhibit its changes, new treatment approaches and preventative choices that future generations can make. I am running the London marathon not just to see what it’s like on the ‘other side of the barrier’, not just to see if this old lady can actually manage to put one foot in front of the other for bloody miles, but to also to try and raise as much money as possible in order to help protect my children and the daughters and sons of all those who may go on to inherit this gene mutation.

Prevent Breast Cancer is the only UK charity funding ground-breaking research solely aimed at preventing breast cancer for future generations. Our research will one day bring about a world where breast cancer is preventable and thousands are saved from ever experiencing this terrible disease.

I hate asking for money and have never done any sponsored events and I can assure you that this will also be my last time of asking (or running anywhere!). I would be so grateful for any donations so please click the link below if you feel able to contribute.