Thanks so much for visiting my page!

As some of you know, I used to dabble in the occasional long run... until I found myself pregnant last year. Naively I imagined I could carry on trying to stay fit but sadly things did not go that way. After a sickly pregnancy and then a scary birth, followed by moving country, running fell by the wayside. I lost my way a little too.

I wanted to motivate myself to get back into doing something that could help me feel like "me" again....it took a while to figure out what that was. During that time, I had and continue to have, an amazing support system. A couple of those supporters are going through their own battles. Inspired by them, humbled by a scary 24 hours post c section when my legs refused to work and also wanting to do something to "give back" (as crass as that sounds) I wanted to raise money for a charity that would mean something to those people, which is how I came across WalkOnceMore (more below) and turned my mind to what really epic event I could do to try to raise as much money as possible.

Well, I‘m excited to say that I’ve managed to secure a place in the Marathon des Sables 2024, known as the toughest footrace on Earth. This April, I’ll be arriving in the Sahara desert to complete this punishing ultra-marathon, whilst raising vital money and awareness for spinal cord injury (SCI) cure research charity, Walkoncemore. This will be a punishing event, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge and hoping that you’ll all get behind me as I prepare for it!

What is involved? Essentially its a five-stage, 250 km (155 mile) ultra-marathon (the equivalent of around six regular marathons), I will cross numerous terrains, sand dunes, salt flats, mountains and rock. Just to make things that little bit more taxing, I will be traversing the course with my entire kit on my back, containing all of my food, cooking equipment, my sleeping bag, clothes, venom pump (snakes snakes snakes), flare, and every other essential supply required to survive this self-sufficient race.

Training started last August. It is hell. Washington DC had a super hot summer which I tell myself I will reap the benefit if in April! But its not that much fun right now. The snow hasn’t helped: )

However all of this combined still doesn’t compare to how tough daily life is for millions of people around the world after falling victim to SCI. With each unforgiving mile of the course, I am aiming to raise as much money and awareness as possible towards a cure for this debilitating condition. My pain is temporary.

In an instant, a paralysing SCI robs the victim and their loved ones of so much. As things stand, once a person suffers damage to their spinal cord, it is almost always permanent and the individual is usually left having to live with severe disability through paralysis. The research that Walkoncemore supports is aiming to make this a thing of the past. New and old injuries will become temporary, allowing the person affected to regain full sensation and mobility. Funds raised will go only to the brightest minds in the field who are working tirelessly to make this happen as soon as possible.

Any one of us can be affected at any time by this catastrophic injury, so you could say that the work of the charity is a bit of an insurance policy for us all. With that in mind, please dig deep! Every little bit really does help, and will propel me round this difficult course. I am looking to raise a minimum of £6000, but I may even exceed this with your kindness and generosity!

I really appreciate your support, thanks a million everyone!

Katie