On the 8th of September this year I will be running the Great North Run (a half marathon) for the Marie Curie Charity. This is a lot longer than you’ll see me running on sports day – I think 200m is my max so it’s a huge challenge! I’d like to tell you a little bit about why I’m doing this and what Marie Curie means to me and my family.

I’m sure you can all remember how horrid the days of Covid were. On top of dealing with all the challenges of home schooling and the general suspension of normal life, my family were also trying to do our best for my grandparents who lived 300 miles away in Newcastle and who were both suffering from cancer. We weren’t allowed to visit them because of Covid restrictions and when they both became very sick trying to get help was incredibly challenging.

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end of life charity providing care to people with terminal illnesses at home or in one of their hospices - and when we were dealing with these issues they provided incredible support to my grandparents. When staying at home became too difficult they were both able to go to stay at the hospice, in rooms next door to each other, where they were provided with the gentlest and most considerate 24 hour care. Whilst Covid rules meant visitors weren’t allowed – usually you can bring family, friends and pets into the hospice for as long as you like! – the staff did everything they could to enable us to see them both. Given their ill health they very sadly they both died within 3 weeks of each other at the hospice – but importantly Marie Curie’s care didn’t end there. In the weeks and months afterwards their specialist nurses provided counselling and someone to talk to for my family. They pride themselves on being there for families as a whole not just their patients for as long as they need them to be. I knew very little about hospices before I lost my grandparents and if I’m honest just thought they were another type of hospital – in fact they are so much more than that and my family and I owe them a huge debt.

So it’s to enable Marie Curie to continue their incredible work that I am running.

As I prepare for race day, I am reminded that this endeavour is about more than personal accomplishment. It’s about running for a cause that matters, running to give hope, and running to make a difference. With your support, I am confident that we can help Marie Curie to achieve their goals and continue their vital work – helping families like mine and anyone else who needs them.

Every little helps on this journey and I implore you to donate as little or as much as you would like to this great cause. When you donate to add an aspect of competition to it put the time you think I will accomplish and whoever is closest will win a prize.

.