On 17th May I’ll be doing something completely mental. I’m running the Hackney Half Marathon. 13.1 miles. On purpose.

As a fat kid, I can hand on heart tell you that I did not participate in cross country once. I forged every P.E. note for my various “sprained ankles”, “bad shoulder”, or personal favourite “fluid on the knee” from 1996 to 2001. Yes, you may call me Gypsy Rose.

I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a runner. But I’ve been training for months, given up three times, experienced blisters, chub-rub, nipple bleeding, tears, and total self-doubt, but I wanna prove to myself at the age of 41 I can do it and even better raise money for an amazing charity.

I’m doing it all for Great Ormond Street Hospital — one of the UK’s leading children’s hospitals, caring for seriously ill children from across the country. They provide life-saving treatment, pioneering research, and support for families during what must be the absolute worst times. They rely heavily on donations to continue this work, and honestly the least I can do is jog awkwardly around East London for a couple of hours.

I’ve been putting off setting up this page for months because part of me wasn’t sure I could actually do this. So consider this me publicly committing, with absolutely no way out. You’re all witnesses now. My goal is to raise £300. That’s less than £1 per metre of suffering. Bargain.

Please donate whatever you can — and if you could share it too, I will be forever in your debt. Unless, of course, you hate children and you are a absolute monster, which everyone will see if you do not sponsor me.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I love you, please give generously. ❤️