Next year I’ll be running a marathon, something I originally signed up for just to challenge myself, prove I can do it, and have something to be proud of.

But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realised I want it to mean something more than just me.

When I was 12, I went to my first concert without an adult with my step sister. That night, the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 happened.

A bomb went off and we got separated trying to get out. Both of our phones were dead. All I wanted to know was if she was alive and that we’d both make it out safely. I remember waiting at the bottom of the stairs, just hoping and praying she’d come through.

When we finally found each other, we just held onto each other by a lamppost until our parents found us. That day, we ran for our lives.

It’s something that has never left me.

I want to dedicate this marathon to the victims, the survivors, and all the families affected.

My heart goes out to every single one of them and the 22 angels who are looking over us.

This started as something personal, but now, every mile will mean something more. 🐝