On Sunday, 15th March, I’ll be running the Rome Marathon in memory of my dad, Jim Elrick.

That sentence still feels completely surreal.

He passed away suddenly in the early hours of Monday, 3rd March, at just 68 years old, after suffering a cardiac arrest out of the blue. We are still in shock - he was fit, healthy, and full of life, looking forward to many more years of adventure.

This weekend was meant to be a family trip to Rome. The marathon wasn’t for charity; it was just a personal goal and an excuse for a fun family weekend together. My parents had planned to run the 5K fun run on Saturday before cheering me on in the marathon on Sunday.

Instead, my mum and I ran the fun run together this morning. I’ll then take on the marathon in his memory, wearing his running shirt and hoping to raise money for two brilliant causes:

🫀Lucky2Bhere is a small Skye-based charity that provides defibrillators and life-saving equipment while delivering emergency life support training in schools and communities across Scotland.

🥫Ayrshire East Foodbank provides nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people in crisis. They are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by the Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

Unfortunately, JustGiving doesn’t allow donations to be split between two charities, so you can choose to donate to one or both—whatever feels right to you.

Any contribution, big or small, would mean the world. It will make a real difference to real people in real time.

Thank you for your support.

❤️