2024 was a year of extremes. At the start, I was recovering from major surgery for endometriosis. By the end, someone I love deeply was diagnosed with CTCL, a rare and incurable form of lymphoma.

In 2025, I started running again - gingerly at first - after the endo quite literally knocked me off my feet. I had a massive wobble in March this year, but for now, the endo seems to be behaving. And somewhere along the way, I found a kind of therapy in just putting one foot in front of the other (never letting my knee cross my foot, obviously).

Running this 21km is a huge personal milestone. Just 16 months ago, I couldn’t walk. I don’t take movement or health for granted anymore. At some point, the endo will likely return. And when it does, I know I may not be able to do this again. I’ll have to say no, physically. So I guess I’m saying yes now?

I’m running to raise money for the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), a world leading research institute and charity that’s saved lives, including in my own family. When my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, ICR’s groundbreaking science played a key role in her treatment. She’s in remission today. The work they’re doing now will hopefully also lay the foundations for a cure to CTCL.

ICR has led the way in understanding cancer as a genetic disease. They discovered BRCA2, developed more targeted radiotherapy, and have discovered more cancer drugs than any other academic centre in the world. Their work is extraordinary, and it gives hope to people facing even the rarest diagnoses, like CTCL.

My own PhD was funded by an institute just like ICR, and I’ve seen first hand how much difference it makes when science is well supported. In a time when research institutions are facing deep cuts and political (orange) interference, it feels more important than ever to stand behind evidence, progress, and the people driving it.

If you can donate, thank you—it will help fund life saving research (even a fiver genuinely helps). And if you can’t, I’d love it if you could cheer me on (preferably very, very loudly).

Thank you 💛

Tishya x