Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity that is very close to the hearts of my family.

When my wife was 14 years old, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. At a time when most teenagers are focused on school, friendships and growing up, she was going through chemotherapy and cancer treatment.

Although she wasn’t directly treated within a Teenage Cancer Trust unit herself, the charity’s work became deeply personal to her. Following her treatment, she dedicated a huge amount of time to fundraising efforts that helped support the development of the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital — helping future young people access specialist care and support designed specifically for their age group.

Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to providing specialist cancer support for young people aged 13–24. They fund expert nurses, Youth Support Coordinators and specialist units within the NHS, helping young people navigate treatment while maintaining as much normality, independence and support as possible.

The charity currently funds 28 specialist units, 59 nurses and 33 Youth Support Coordinators across the UK. Donations help fund not just clinical support, but also the wider things that genuinely improve quality of life during treatment — wellbeing sessions, peer support, social spaces and dedicated staff who understand the unique challenges young people face.

So this year, to try and help, I’ll be running my first ever marathon.

I’ve never attempted anything like this before, but I’m committing myself fully to the challenge — the training, the early mornings, the long runs and the setbacks — because I want to give the greatest possible account of myself for a cause that truly matters to me.

Every donation — no matter the size — genuinely makes a difference, and I’m hugely grateful to everyone supporting me, encouraging me and contributing to the cause, as it’s helping to give the whole experience much deeper meaning. Thank you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any support you’re able to give.

If you’d like to learn more about Teenage Cancer Trust, the race I’m taking part in, or to follow me as I train towards this goal, take a look here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5H4OPoXifA

https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

https://zigzagrunning.eventrac.co.uk/e/the-wensum-way-trail-13510

https://www.instagram.com/joshsmarathon

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