I'm running the Great South Run for Different Strokes because I want to raise money to support other younger stroke survivors.

I had a stroke at the age of 35. I was a healthy and active non-smoker. Strokes affect babies, children, teenagers and adults of working age, but we tend to associate them with the elderly. Younger stroke survivors have very different needs and challenges, and Different Strokes is a charity which champions these, and ensures vital support for the survivors and their families is in place.

Every year 100,000 people have a stroke and a 1/4 of these people are under the age of 65. That's 25,000 younger people whose lives are changed in an instant.

Stroke is also the single biggest cause of disability in the UK, but it's not always the visible disabilities that stroke survivors have to contend with, debilitating fatigue, cognitive problems and personality changes can also be a lifelong challenge, preventing them from returning to work or bringing up a young family.