Hi everyone!

This coming April 2025, I will be running the London Marathon, raising funds for Aspire. Aspire works with people with a spinal cord injury to give them a life of independence, and they aim to support people to lead a fulfilled life from the moment of their injury throughout their life.

The work that Aspire do is so crucial, to the understanding and rehabilitation of people with SCI, and that is why I have decided to join the Aspire team, taking on this amazing (and long..) challenge to raise funds for this cause.

In August last year, my mum Claire fell off a ladder at home, and fractured her spine, resulting in an incomplete spinal injury. After an ambulance (and the fire brigade..) she spent 3 months in Preston Hospital, and a further 2 months in a spinal rehabilitation centre in Southport. During this time it was necessary for her to learn how to walk again, from having no feeling in her lower body, to wiggling her toes, and ultimately now, over a year later, with the aid of crutches, on her feet with ongoing physiotherapy and continual support. It goes without saying that her determination and spirit led her from being told she would never walk again, to being back in the garden with the dog (she will agree- her faverouite place!) but this was not an easy road.

Aspire provides advice for those living with a spinal injury, as well as continual support from initial injury, through an extremely difficult and stressful time where most people have no idea what to expect. Aspire personally helped my family through this.

Approximately 4,400 people sustain a spinal cord injury in the UK each year, and currently there is no cure. Aspire also provide crucial Spinal Injury Research, Rehabilitation and Reintegration to those in crucial need - so please help me to give back to such a fantastic charity with any donation possible - it all counts!

Lucy xx