I'm running the London Marathon 2024 to raise money for Bowel Research UK, a fantastic charity that supports research to help people impacted by bowel conditions, saving and improving lives.

I have severe irritable bowel syndrome, a condition which has a real and detrimental impact on the way that I live my life every day, and which will add an extra dimension to the challenge of training for and running the marathon.

I was lucky enough to get a ballot place for the marathon and wanted to support a charity that works to help people living with IBS and much worse bowel conditions, such as bowel cancer or Crohn's. Every year over 16,000 people die from bowel cancer in the UK and over a million suffer from bowel disease.

All the money raised will go towards funding projects such as research into new treatments to make bowel cancer less deadly or to help people with a stoma be able to continue living life to the full.

Unfortunately people often find bowel conditions difficult or embarrassing to talk about, so I also want to play my own small part in reducing stigmas around digestive and bowel problems.

The vast majority of people helped by Bowel Research UK's work have it far worse than me, and I'm very lucky that I'm in a position to be able to help. So please do give what you can. It's a really important cause and every penny will help to save people's lives. I'm very grateful. Thank you.