In December 2021, our daughter Matilda was just nine days old when she suddenly became seriously ill at home and had a respiratory arrest. Thankfully, the paramedics were there and managed to bring her back. She was taken to Royal Derby Hospital, where we were told she had Group B Strep meningitis and also sepsis.

It was one of the most frightening experiences our family has ever been through. Matilda was cared for on the Dolphin Ward at Royal Derby Hospital, and the team there worked tirelessly to look after her and support us through an incredibly difficult time.

This was during the pandemic, which made things even harder. Only one parent was allowed to stay with her in hospital. As it was so close to Christmas, the team eventually allowed us to take Matilda home earlier than we had expected, while bringing her back into the hospital during the day over the following weeks for her treatment. That meant we were able to spend our first Christmas at home as a complete family, at a time when we had initially feared that we might not have her home at all.

We have never forgotten what Dolphin Ward did for our family. Four years later, I wanted to do something to give something back to the hospital that cared for our daughter when we needed them most.

So I’ve decided to set myself a challenge that is deliberately a long way outside my comfort zone.

I don’t like running. Those that know me know that I much prefer lifting weights and have done so since a young age, and I haven’t run more than about four miles in the last ten years. I did run a marathon about 11 years ago, but since then running has very much taken a back seat.

Over the next 9/10 months I’m going to try to build myself back up from where I am now and take part in three races:

🏃 Leicester 10K – 11 October 2026

🏃 Nottingham Holme Half Marathon – 28 February 2027

🏃 Edinburgh Marathon – 30 May 2027

The final challenge will be going from barely running at the moment to completing 26.2 miles in Edinburgh.

I’m also conscious that training for a marathon takes a lot of time, and I don’t want it to come at the expense of my wife and our two daughters. Over the last year, I have fought my own battles, overcoming personal issues in which I have worked very hard at. Especially creating balance that allows me to spend the most possible time with my family. I’m limiting myself to a maximum of 4 training sessions a week and will be trying to balance the running with keeping some strength training in my routine and most importantly, family life.

I have no idea how fast I’ll be able to run. My old 10K and half-marathon personal bests were set more than ten years ago, and I’m not expecting to get back to those times. The challenge for me is simply to find out what I’m capable of now.

Ultimately, though, this isn’t really about running. It’s about Matilda and the people who looked after her.

If I can put myself through something difficult, raise some money and give something back to the Dolphin Ward, then every mile will be worth it.

Thank you for supporting me