My Story

I am running the London Marathon and Royal Parks Half Marathon in memory of my Dad.  

The 21st April 2024 (the day of the marathon) will be the 15th anniversary of the day my Dad died by suicide and the day my life changed forever.  

My Dad was a loving, kind and proud family man, a sociable man who enjoyed good food, beer, golf and walking his dog.  He was a well educated, professional man who achieved so much in his 63 years. But, as his mental health deteriorated in the last year of his life, he thought he was a failure, hopeless and a burden. We knew nothing about how he was really feeling or how real the thoughts of suicide were.

This will be my 2nd marathon, so I know what I am letting myself in for. Training is tough. It's time consuming, exhausting and painful!! I have a time to beat and I am determined to do just that. I turn 50 this year in September - I couldn’t think of better tribute.

Why do we need to raise money for the Samaritans?

Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland takes their own life. In the next hour, the Samaritans will respond to almost 400 calls for help.

We should talk openly about mental health and the struggles we all face.  The work the Samaritans do, to reduce stigma and encourage others to seek support and help when they need it the most, saves lives.

Every step I take and pound we raise could help train more volunteers, answer more calls for help and, ultimately, save lives. I'm running with the official Charity of the Year for the 2024 TCS London Marathon, to show millions of people that no matter what they're facing, a Samaritan will face it with them.

We believe in tomorrow and together we can save lives.

Thank you so much for your donation.