Hold on to your hats, folks!

For those who know me, 2024 threw me a curveball. What should have been a simple operation turned into a fight with sepsis and five days in hospital. Recovery was tough, the weight piled on, and as I approached the grand age of 50 in June 2025, I realised something had to change if I wanted more years on this planet.

Fast forward seven months — no jabs, no shortcuts — and I’m 7 stone lighter. The driving force behind this has been training for the Exeter Great West Run Half Marathon this May, all in support of an incredible charity: Mikey’s Wish Foundation.

This charity has changed my son’s life. As many of you know, Jamie has a severe Speech & Language Disorder, including CAS — the same condition Mikey Akers lives with. It’s an invisible disability, but its impact is huge.

A few years ago, I found Jamie in his room, upset and wondering why no one else sounded like him. Why he felt so alone. I found Mikey online, raising awareness, writing poems for children like Jamie, and creating videos where each child said a sentence — showing them they were not alone. It transformed Jamie’s confidence. He even agreed to share his story publicly, including a clip on Chris Kamara’s “Lost for Words” — an incredible achievement for a boy who once felt ashamed.

Mikey has since built a charity that supports children and adults who cannot access the speech and language services they desperately need. They provide therapy support, specialist training, resources, and raise awareness of the real impact of communication disorders.

If you can spare even a few pennies, every single one helps give these kids the power of speech.