What am I doing?

The London Landmarks Half Marathon - but also 8 HALF MARATHONS, 1 FULL MARATHON AND A 100FT ABSEIL!

I will do a half marathon every month from when I had surgery in August up to and including April. I will then run the Virtual London Marathon and for my finale in May I will abseil 100ft off the side of Liverpool's Anfield football stadium. Yikes!

What is the money for?

I want to raise as much money as I can to help fund support groups to help people dealing with pituitary illnesses. And to raise awareness about pituitary illnesses and shine a light on the necessity to provide psychological support as well as medical support for all pituitary patients. Due to how complicated and difficult to diagnose pituitary diseases are, it is almost impossible for pituitary patients to find the answers to their questions and we rely on fellow patients in these groups to help guide and support us, oftentimes at moments when we are at our most vulnerable.

Why is this important?

I was diagnosed with a pituitary disease called Cushing's Disease on Christmas Eve 2021. It had taken me a decade to get diagnosed and I was very poorly.

In 2022 I had my first neurosurgery to remove the tumour in my pituitary gland on the underside of my brain which had been causing the disease. The tumour was a functioning one giving out a chemical called ACTH which made my body overproduce cortisol, the stress hormone. My body had been in a fight or flight mode for a decade and the damage it did to my body and mind seems like an endless list I am a long way off recovering from. I was in remission for two years, then it came back in 2024.

On August 5th 2025 I had my second neurosurgery. I'm delighted to be in remission at the moment but with my cortisol levels slowly rising the doctors have told me to be prepared that it'll return again.

Nobody sees the extent to which Cushing’s has harmed me physically; my muscles, my organs, my skin. Most of my days I have to make constant adjustments to the way I can do things and be aware of the very many things I can no longer do. It is an invisible disease noticed only by those close to me due to the complete change in my appearance over the years. I now have a hump on my upper back, a round red face, large chest and a pregnant looking tummy. But the most difficult part of it all is how it's affected me mentally. This is the same for many patients.

Mentally, pituitary illnesses are incredibly difficult to deal with. For me, it was not just the fear in the pre-diagnosis days, or the fact that I over produced a stress hormone, or the pain I'm constantly in, or the fact that my body has changed so much, or the constant fatigue, or the memory problems I now have, but a combination of all of that meaning that I grieve my old life. I want old Sara back again and a chance to move forwards! Let's help people figure out ways to move forwards.

When my doctor told me that unfortunately it seemed like I would never fully heal and my memory problems were likely to stay too, he recommended therapy. By then I was one step ahead.

In 2023 I took part in The London Landmarks Half Marathon with my brother beside me as my carer. Getting to the finish line was like clawing back a bit of the old me, but more than that - on that day both before and after the race The Pituitary Foundation charity invited me to meet up with them and introduced me to other pituitary patients. This was the first time I had ever met a fellow patient and I found speaking to them very liberating and inspiring. Being among people who understood much of what I was going through was a breath of fresh air, and felt like therapy.

Having been in desperate need of psychological support since the beginning of my journey I realised that the answer lay with fellow patients sharing experiences together. I therefore joined The Pituitary Foundation as a volunteer and set up a Support Group in my home town of Nottingham. Since then I've become an Ambassador for the charity and set up another support group in Leicester. We plan to set up as many groups as we can around Britain. I also help with the Admin of an online support group for Cushing's patients that has just reached 3000 members!

The charity don't get any government funding and rely on fundraisers like ourselves. My aim is to raise £1500. I have pledged to raise £500 to go directly to the charity to set up new groups, and £1000 to help pay for venues in Nottingham and Leicester so I can continue to host these two groups I have already set up, with a promise to help other groups in nearby areas establish themselves also if needed.

When am I doing my challenges?

There are many challenges but the one it all hinges around is the 2026 London Landmarks Half Marathon, taking me back to where my journey with the charity really began. The others are all extras! Haha!

September (Sunday 28th, 9.30am) – ‘Robin Hood Half Marathon’ - DONE

October (Tuesday, 21st, 9am) – ‘Virtual Robin Hood Half Marathon’ - DONE

November (Saturday 1st, 9.30am) – ‘Mo Run’ at Nottingham Embankment - DONE

December (Tuesday 2nd, 10am) – ‘Winter Half Marathon’ (virtual) - DONE

January (Saturday 3rd, 9am) - ‘Boobydoo January Half Marathon’ (virtual)

February (Sunday 1st, 8am) – ‘Winter Warmer Half Marathon’ (virtual) - DONE

March (Sunday 22nd, 9am) – ‘Virtual Reading Half Marathon’

April (Sunday 12th, 9.30am)– ‘London Landmarks Half Marathon’

April (Sunday 26th, stroke of midnight) - 'Virtual London Marathon'

May – 100ft Abseil off the Main Stand roof of Anfield Football Stadium

I'm too broken to do any sort of keep-fit, let alone run. So I can't train for these events. But on the day I'll grit my teeth, remind myself why I'm doing it, try to remember old Sara and how badass she was, and get to the finish lines. I promise (I'm very stubborn!). Please help me continue to change lives and donate. Any small amount helps.

I wouldn't keep asking for your money if I didn't see the changes it was making with my own eyes. On my journey to help people I've met many patients who have felt broken, suicidal and alone. Being heard, connected, sharing knowledge, and knowing you are not alone can mean everything at a time when you feel most vulnerable. These support groups are vital.

"Alone we are rare, Together we are strong"

IF YOU'VE READ THIS FAR THANK-YOU SO SO MUCH!

If you can't afford to donate please could I ask you to share my page if possible, so hopefully others will. Thanks so much. xx

(Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity)