Sadly I lost my dad at 16. At that age, I was still figuring out who I was, and his sudden absence left an indescribable void that nothing seemed to fill. Grief became this constant companion, not something that ever fully leaves but something I learned to live with. I was old enough to understand the situation but still too young to know how to process the depth of that loss. The world felt different without him, and it took a long time to make sense of it all.

Winston’s Wish is a charity that helps young people deal with grief. Every day across the UK, children and young people lose someone significant to them. The death of someone important can be the most traumatic experience a child or young person will ever face causing mental health problems throughout their life. Having support at an early age can help process grief and find ways to move forward with hope for a brighter future.

Winston’s Wish relies on voluntary charitable donations to support children and their families following the death of a parent, sibling or important person so I hope by running this marathon, I can help support this worthy cause and help young people who have gone through something similar to me.

Thanks for reading and if you can spare a couple of pounds, I’d be extremely grateful.

Gabriel