Thanks for visiting my team fundraising page.
Recently it feels like the world has lost a lot of wonderful inspiring people and I've been struggling to make sense of it. For a while I've been thinking about what I can do to honour my friends and help others...
So I've decided to run 2 ultramarathons!
And I want to raise money for charities close to their hearts whilst doing it.
I'd like to tell you a little bit more about the people and charities because not all of you who visit this page will know or have met maybe even one of them:
Marion Mainstone, my beautiful, mad, musical, clever, text-crazy, incurable romanticschool friend who lived life at 100 mph and felt everything so deeply. A hugely talented musician who could have chosen to be a famous concert pianist or composer but devoted her life to teaching children to love music as much as she did, even though she was probably too sensitive for the school system. Marion was stolen from us suddenly late last year when a bug picked up on her honeymoon turned into untreatable pneumonia, because typical Marion she tried to soldier on regardless of her pain. In her honour her family chose the charity Music Therapy Works, a West Midlands Charity (Marion went to university and worked in the Midlands) which aims to help provide musical therapy and communication aids to individuals, groups and communities in challenging situations.
Paul Burke, in the year above me at school I can't claim to have moved in Paul's circle of friends but I do remember him well, he was popular and charismatic, a fantastic hockey player who continued organising the OQ's hockey matches long after most people would have bothered. I remember him being kind and fun and most of us looked up to him. Unfortunately Paul and his wife Rhian lost their baby son George in February 2012, in a worse blow 5 days later Paul, in his suffering decided he couldn't go on. Rhian is an amazingly strong woman who has chosen to turn this experience into something positive and to honour Paul and George by setting up 2 Wish upon a Star a charity to improve bereavement support in NHS A&E in Wales where she and Paul lived. How can we not want to support this effort?
Katie Henderson, another beautiful, phenomenally talented woman, one I was only just starting to get to know but who supported and inspired me and continues to do so, I only wish I had had the chance to get to know her better. The #Katie'sLegacy page here and on facebook say so eloquently what I can only touch on here and I hope you'll visit them to see how big an impact she's had on so many lives. A gifted triathlete Katie had been selected as one of four guide for visually impaired triathletes training for Rio 2016. Katie achieved so much in her sports and inspired so many people but she still had so much more to give. #Katie'sLegacy donate their funds raised to the British Triathlon Foundation. At the moment I can't work out how to add Katie's Legacy on here properly so I have set up a page direct to the BTF or if you wish your donation to be added to Emma and Sarah's total for Katie go to https://www.justgiving.com/Katies-legacy
You'll see our team fundraising target on the right. Your donation can really help us smash this goal
Remember: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 25%) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too. That means more money goes to the charity, faster, with JustGiving.
