With less than two weeks to go until the London Marathon, I've had so many people ask, "Can I sponsor you?" — so I thought now was the perfect time to share why I’m running and how much it means to me.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Kev Outhwaite’s passing and 26 years since I lost my dad, both to cancer. So it felt only right to run for Kev’s chosen charity, The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation — a cause that does incredible work in the fight against cancer.

If you have a couple of quid to spare and want to support not just me (as I aim to cross that finish line in around 5 hours — fingers crossed!), but also this fantastic cause, it would mean the world.

I’ll be running proudly in my Sunderland Strollers vest — a club I’ve been part of for three years now. The support and encouragement from the Strollers has been amazing, and I honestly couldn’t recommend them enough to anyone thinking about starting their own running journey.

Because not long ago, I was that person who "couldn’t run a bath" — and yet here I am, about to take on the London Marathon. I never thought I’d run a marathon, let alone be on the start line in London. So yes — I’m feeling proud. And with your support, we can hopefully raise some funds for a truly amazing cause too.

Thank you for reading and supporting — every donation, no matter how small, means a lot.

To find out more about the Charity visit https://charity.newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk/