My Story

I was meant to run London Marathon in 2020 for Helen and Douglas House as a 'house'. I was lucky enough to meet some of the children at the hospice where they voted for my costume.  And of course they picked something really easy ;) 

Sadly due to covid the marathon was cancelled and I opted to run it in 2023.  I was then hit with illness when 8 benign tumours were found, 5 of them crushing my colon and three sitting on my bladder meaning I was incontinent front and back ( I know pleasant).  I was given a date for a full hysterectomy to save my bowels and bladder a week post London.  I didn't know if this op would mean the end of my running fun, so I decided to don a tutu and heart wings and run London as my last hurrah just in case.  I was absolutely gutted not to be able to do the run justice, stopping for every portaloo from mile 14 onwards, I so wanted to run as the house, but due to the weight of the tumours - all 8.1lbs of them and the position this wasn't possible.  I went to surgery with my marathon tshirt in my bag and the hope that maybe one day I'd be able to return to London.  

I am incredibly lucky to be offered a second chance to go back and redeem myself in 2025.. House included..  

So Why Helen and Douglas - well, being an OT I know how important quality of life is, and having seen my dad pass away in a Hospice I also know the importance of being allowed to be a daugher and not a carer.  Helen and Douglas do all the above, but they also offer a life line in the most difficult of times. They run sibling groups, they have sensory rooms, they have a beautiful garden and they have arts and crafts, music and even  a school.  They try to make life as much fun as possible, building lasting memories for all the family and friends.  The warmth you get from all the staff and volunteers when you enter the building is so beautiful. I was incredibly privaleged to meet some of the families and given the opportunity to carry photos of their children around London the first time. I'd love to be able to raise more money to help more of families in this situation. But I can only do this with your help. 

So please sponsor the house on Moving Marathon Day.  For anyone that has been supported by the hospice, I'm creating a wall of names on the sides to remember the children. So if you would like your loved on on there please send me an email or comment below and I will add them.  I'm hoping to do this the wednesday before the marathon.   ([email protected])

About us

The London Marathon has become an annual, inspiring and colourful fixture in the world’s sporting calendar since the inaugural race on 29 March 1981: a celebration of fun, fundraising and fancy dress.

Over the years more than a million people have completed the 26.2-mile course – which runs from Blackheath to The Mall, with a spectacular finish in front of Buckingham Palace, showcasing the very best that the capital city has to offer.

What’s more, these participants have raised over a billion pounds for charity and there have been countless amazing tales of human achievement throughout the event’s history – living up to its aim of helping participants ‘to have fun, and provide some happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world’.