About

I am doing 3 events this year to raise money for two amazing causes. The 1st is on July 6th this year - The Pink Triathlon in Leeds (another triple challenge!) This will be my first triathlon and a huge challenge for me, having only learned to run again properly last year and getting a blade (special running leg). The 2nd is The Great Manchester Swim which I did last year. 1 mile in Salford Docks. And the 3rd and final challenge is another first, The Great Scottish Swim, another mile in Beautiful Loch Lomond on August 23rd. Who am I raising money for? The first charity is Marie Curie Cancer Care. Both people who have inspired me in the planned challenges have and will benefit from their amazing services. They need to raise 10,000 every hour of every day to carry out their work in the 9 UK hospices and in people's homes, as well as funding vital research into this dreadful disease. My Mother in Law, Maggie, was cared for and tragically passed away in their Bradford Hospice just before Christmas last year. The second charity is The Motor Neurone Disease Association. The second person who is already also benefitting from Marie Curie's support is Andy Baker, also in Bradford, whose wife Laura and son Alex I first met several years ago when they came to my signing classes. Andy was diagnosed with MND last October, it is a deadly disease and progresses quickly, meaning already Andy needs 24 hour care, a ventilator and wheelchair. Over half of all those diagnosed lose their fight within 14 months of diagnosis and about 5000 adults in the UK have the disease at any one time. The brutal reality is that there is no cure or effective treatments so funds are vital to conduct research to help save lives in the future. Every little helps so please sponsor me whatever you can and don't forget to gift aid if you are a UK tax payer. Even if you can just share this page that would be most appreciated as raising awareness is a huge help. Marie Curie Staff make the unbearable bearable for families like ours and Andy's and we can never thank them enough. Thanks :-)