Over 10 years ago I met the greatest friend anyone could ask for. We party every weekend, speak every day of the week, have travelled the world together and continue to make outrageous plans for the future. Without making her head too big, she’s a pretty integral part to so many people’s lives. Annoyingly gorgeous, funny, intelligent and ever-so-slightly mental. Yet behind all that, she’s inflicted with an ongoing challenge that you would never know about unless she was to tell you, well, except for her pretty ridiculous cough…

Cystic Fibrosis. A life-shortening, genetic disease, affecting over 10,000 people in the UK. The inherited condition causes thick, sticky mucus to clog the lungs and digestive system. There is no cure, and although over half of the CF population in the UK will now live past 41, each week 5 babies are born with the condition and two people lose their fight. Treatment for CF has advanced considerably over the years, and the CF Trust continues to fund ground-breaking research to make living with the condition more manageable; a combination of physiotherapy, exercise, medication and nutrition.

In 2012 I ran 2 marathons in one week for The Cystic Fibrosis Trust, and you were all incredible and we raised a huge amount of money. That said, afterwards I was a mess and vowed never to do one again. Then, during one of our crazy weekends partying away, I had one too many vinos and signed up for the London marathon on April 26th 2015. So here I am, once again, running half marathons before work, sprinting around Richmond green, complaining to anyone to listen about how much my legs hurt and looking to raise awareness for the incredible Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The CF Trust is committed to promoting world-class research, focussing on the development of innovative and life-changing treatments and care for those living with the disease in the UK. Through the work of the CF Trust, and generous donations from people like you, improvements in treatments over the last 30 years have led to an increase in survival with almost all children born now with CF living into their 40’s.

As I said, whenever anyone is faced with a challenge, it is the support of our incredible family and friends that helps ease the pain and makes things that much easier to deal with. Please support me in this challenge by donating and/or coming to support me at the end of April, either during or afterwards in the pub.

All my love and a million thank yous.

Rhiannon x