I am running the Chicago Marathon for WellChild because some children never get the chance to grow up. While many of us complain about deadlines, stress, or the weight of adult responsibility, there are children in the UK whose lives are defined not by choices, but by hospital wards, machines, and uncertainty. Some will never see their 18th birthday. Some will never know the freedom of independence, or the luxury of worrying about the future because simply getting through today is the challenge.

WellChild supports seriously ill children whose lives are unimaginably complex, yet filled with courage. They help families bring their children home, where love, dignity, and normality can exist alongside medical care. This run is my way of recognising how fortunate I am to have a healthy body that can carry me 26.2 miles when so many children are fighting battles far greater than a marathon, every single day. If my legs can ache for a few hours to help give a child comfort, support, and a chance at a fuller life, then every mile is worth it.