I’ll be honest… I utterly loath running.

I don’t get the “runner’s high” everyone bangs on about, I don’t finish runs feeling amazing, and at no point during training have I thought “I’m enjoying this.”

Instead, it’s mostly been me checking how much longer is left every 30 seconds and questioning my life choices.

Why did I sign up for a marathon? Literally, no idea.

But if I’m going to put myself through 26.2 miles of this, I may as well raise some money for a good cause.

Sadly, both my Nan and Grandad, are living with dementia. They have always been such a big part of my life. They were always independent, private, and full of adventure. They spent years travelling, living abroad, and making the most of life. A lifestyle I admired.

Watching that slowly change has been incredibly hard.

They now spend most of their time at home, with good days and bad days. The hardest part is seeing their personalities fade — it’s like watching the people you love slowly disappear, while still being here.

Because they are both affected, they heavily rely on others, which is hard for them to accept. As a family, we now help them through everyday life — something they would have never imagined needing.

One of the most heart-breaking parts is feeling of losing them before they’re gone. Dementia doesn’t just take memories, it takes independence, personality, and precious time. It takes years that should be filled with joy, laughter, and making memories, and leaves families feeling like they’ve been robbed of that time together.

That’s why I’m raising money for Dementia UK — to support families going through this and to help fund vital work towards better care and, hopefully one day, a cure.

If you can donate, I’d be beyond grateful 💛