Back in June last year I was told I was off for imminent open heart surgery at Wythenshawe hospital. It was a massive shock; especially considering I was in the best fitness shape of my life and aysymtomatic. (Someone was looking down on me the day I was referred…but that’s a story for another time!)

I had my surgery on Tuesday 16th September; and am pleased to say I am now fit enough to be running the Manchester 10k in May.

That in itself is crazy to me that 8 months after my surgery I’m back living a normal life and can run to raise some funds for charity!

Days after my surgery some volunteers from The Ticker club came round to offer some much needed support and a knowing voice to help me as I recovered - I can tell you that in those early days you think it won’t ever get better. When I heard about what this team do, I knew I wanted to give back in some way when I was able to.

So this year my best friends and myself are running for The Ticker Club…the charity is dedicated to making the experience for patients at The North West Heart Centre better; this can be anything to new medial equipment, funding new exercise bikes for cardiac rehab; better seating areas for all those appointments you find yourself at, the list goes on.

So if you know me; I would love it if you could spare even a small amount so I can give back to a charity that helped me in some pretty dark times!!

Onwards and upwards people… my heart is fixed and I am back running!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.