This October, I will be running my first marathon (eek), having won a competition earlier this year, giving me entry into the Chester Marathon! I've ran many half marathons, but running a marathon is going to be a whole new experience.

I must admit I’ve avoided signing up for a marathon in the past few years, thinking “I can’t do it.” It would be very easy at some point in the next few months to bail given that it is a free entry.

I want to make the event special and, like I did with my first half marathon in October 2021, fundraise for a cause that I care about.

In July 2024, I received confirmation that I was on the autistic spectrum, something I have embraced with open arms. I'm not shy talking about my diagnosis with those close to me, because talking helps, not just me but others as well.

I'm lucky in that I have a supportive group of people around me, however sometimes it feels that wider society works against autistic people rather than with us.

That's where organisations such as the National Autistic Society come into play, and why I will be supporting them in the run up to Chester. The organisation exists to help create a society that works for autistic people moving forward.