I’m taking on my first ever marathon — London 2026 — and doing it for a cause I care deeply about: YMCA Derbyshire.

As a personal trainer, I spend my days helping people believe in themselves, push their limits and discover what they’re capable of. Now it’s my turn to do exactly that. Training happens around the edges of a full and busy life: two children, horses, and our family’s pub and restaurant business.

I’ve always loved running, but a marathon is a whole new challenge!

YMCA Derbyshire provides far more than a safe place to stay. They offer stability, education, mental health support, childcare, employment pathways and a community that stands beside people through the hardest moments of their lives. They help young people find hope again, rebuild confidence and create a future they can believe in.

Every step I take will help someone else take their first step towards safety, independence and possibility.

Every donation — big or small — goes directly towards changing lives.

It could help a young person access safe accommodation, receive essential wellbeing support, join a training programme, or simply feel that someone out there believes in them.

I’m running the London Marathon because I believe in the power of people helping people. I believe in the work the YMCA does every day. And I believe that together, we can make sure no young person is left behind.

Thank you for supporting me, and for supporting YMCA Derbyshire.