Hi, I'm Su. And I'm not a runner.

Well - I wasn't. Until June 2024, the only time I ran as an adult was when I was about to miss a bus or train (timekeeping is still something I'm working on!).

Then my Lifestyle Lean personal coach, Leila Vand, challenged me to try just one guided run. I ran my first one at 2:43pm on 25th June 2024 - the hottest day of the year so far, naturally. Rookie mistake, the first of many. My hayfever went nuts. My lungs were on fire. My legs felt like lead. Every step was a massive push and it was a constant mental challenge not to stop and collapse in a heap. I thought all runners were absolutely mad!

Nearly a year later, I was running 4-5km twice a week and catching myself saying "I want to go for a run" 😱. My 5K PB is 5:19/km. I genuinely cannot believe I'm the same person.

So. HYROX.

On 30th October 2026, I'm competing in my first HYROX at the Birmingham NEC - a global fitness racing event combining 8km of running with 8 functional workout stations. I'm doing it in mixed doubles with my brilliant (and clearly as mad as me) friend, Scott.

What is HYROX?:

👉 https://hyrox.com/the-fitness-race/

👉 https://youtu.be/YN-n8t8d2bA?si=l31_9t-fyXPbMzsE

I'd originally set up this fundraising page for the Two Castles 10k in June 2025, collected donations, and was all ready to go. But in April I hit burnout - well and truly - and I wasn't well enough to run. So, I put my plans and the page on hold, with the donations sat waiting.

Now I'm back, and I'm honouring every single one!

Who Am I Doing this For?

I'm fundraising for the QE Brain Tumour Fund at University Hospitals Birmingham - the same cause I originally set this page up for when it was affiliated with the Giles' Trust, also a UHB charity, through my amazing friend, Karen Jones, who has fundraised for this cause tirelessly for years.

But it's also personal.

My Dad was diagnosed with a benign but slow-growing brain tumour a couple of years ago. He's an anxious man, and the road to a treatment decision was long - a lot of consultations, a lot of patience, empathy and compassion was required from everyone involved, and the team at the QE gave him and our family all of those in spades. He's now on the waitlist for neurosurgery and we're in the hands of people we trust completely.

So when I cross that finish line in October, this is who I'm crossing it for.

How you can support

- Hit the donate button - any amount, big or small, every penny counts 🫶🏼

- Share this page with your network, on social media, with anyone who might want to help 🙏🏼

- Send me a message of encouragement (training is brutal and going according to plan but I won't say no to moral support!) 😅

- If you're at the Birmingham NEC on 30th October - come and find me at the finish line 🏁

Together, we can fund the research, the equipment, and the care that brain tumour patients and their families need.

Thank you so much 🙏🏽