Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On the 27th of April this year, I'll be running all 26-and-a-bit painful miles of the Madrid Marathon in aid of the wonderful charity Unique, who work with people with rare chromosome disorders and their families.

This cause is particularly close to my heart as my older brother Sam, who died at the age of 18, was born with a condition known as Isodicentric 15 (more commonly known as 'idic 15'), meaning he had additional duplications of chromosome 15. Sam's genetic makeup truly did make him 'unique' - while had a global developmental delay meaning he never got to learn to speak, walk or run, as we all take for granted, he found his joy in the sound and feeling of water, as well as being in nature, whether it was being taken around Richmond Park, or the gardens at his school in Surrey.

Discovering that your child or family member has a rare chromosome or gene condition can lead to very real feelings of isolation and distress, which is where Unique is able to help. Unique is an open, supportive community for people who are looking to learn, share lived experiences and connect with others with the same or similar conditions. They not only provide specific information guides on over 300 conditions but also have a telephone/email helpline and private facebook groups for members to get help and advice from a supportive community who understand and share the problems they are going through. As members navigate their new ‘normal’, becoming part of Unique helps them to feel less alone.

While the thought of running the marathon is daunting, and the training slowly takes over my life, I am motivated by the stellar work that Unique does supporting the unique people with rare chromosome disorders and their families. While I know times are tough, any small contribution you might make will go towards providing a lifeline to people in deeply challenging circumstances.

Many thanks in advance for your support - non-financial motivation/congratulations is also gratefully received.

To learn more about my wonderful brother Sam, please read this memorial tribute here.