I can’t quite believe I’m writing this, but I have been lucky enough - although some might say completely mad - to secure a charity place with St Catherine’s Hospice for the London Marathon 2027. 🏃‍♀️❤️

If I’m going to put my body through the craziness of running 26.2 miles around London, there really is only one charity I would do it for and feel so honoured and proud to be able to do so.

I think it’s fair to say that many of us have experienced the care, compassion and dedication of St Catherine’s in one way or another, whether personally or through someone close to us. Their incredible team supports not only terminally ill patients across Crawley and the surrounding areas, but also the families around them, with a level of care that truly is second to none.

My own connection comes from losing my wonderful grandad, Danny. Anyone who knew him would agree that he was the life and soul of the party - an absolute legend. Even in his final days, he never lost his cheeky-chappy sparkle and somehow still managed to share a bit of humour with the incredible nurses caring for him.

St Catherine’s gave my grandad the compassion, dignity and warmth that everyone deserves in their final moments. I was only a teenager at the time, but I still remember so clearly the kindness of every person I encountered, their gentleness, their ability to just know what to do and say, and the way they cared not only for my grandad, but for all of us around him.

So whilst I’ll be joining thousands of runners on the streets of London to take on the marathon it will be a heartfelt and personal run raising vital funds for St Catherine’s a charity that means an enormous amount to me, my family and the wider Crawley community. I am sure my wonderful Grandad will be with me in spirit all the way.

With rising costs making it increasingly challenging for hospices to continue providing this level of care, I want to do my bit to help ensure that St Catherine’s can continue to be there for families when they need them most.

And this is the bit I still can’t quite believe…

Eight years ago, this would have seemed completely impossible. After a broken spine and everything that came with it, the idea that I would one day be lacing up my trainers, pounding the pavements in training and eventually running a marathon would have sounded utterly ridiculous.

But here I am.

So, the training starts and I’m sure I’ll be questioning every single one of my life choices somewhere around mile 20! 😂

If you’re able to support me with a donation, a share, attending upcoming events I will be hosting or even just a bit of encouragement along the way, it would mean the absolute world to me and, more importantly, to a hospice that gives so much when it matters

Let’s keep St Catherine’s running.