I’m running the London Marathon 2026 to fight for lung health!
I’m so excited (and slightly terrified!!!) to have been offered a chance to run for Asthma + Lung UK and be a part of Team Breathe in the London Marathon 2026.
I was born at 26.5 weeks, at a mere 2lbs 12oz, making me a super early premature baby. I didn’t do that usual “first baby cry” like most newborns do and I went on to have 3 separate pneumothoraxes, meaning my lungs collapsed which resulted in surgery to insert a chest drain to get me breathing again that left scarring. Luckily, I had an incredible team of neonatal nurses and my family around me while I spent the first ten weeks of my life fighting for my chance to survive with the help of CPAP breathing support.
By the time I was seven years old, I had contracted pneumonia five times, which left my already damaged lungs in a pretty rubbish place with scarring. I’ve suffered with difficulty breathing and asthma for as long as I can remember.
Throughout school, and honestly my whole life, my asthma has always held me back from doing sports like long-distance running. I struggled with my breathing and was scared it would set my asthma off and cause an attack. But now, at 28 (I’ll be 29 when I run the marathon 🤢!!), I’m finally ready to stop letting asthma control what I can or can’t do. I’m determined to be part of a team that shows it IS possible for people with asthma or lung conditions to take on something like this.
Having had a few asthma attacks over the years, I know how incredibly important it is to have preventative and reliever inhalers at hand, and to have a proper asthma control plan in place. The research funded by all the fundraising myself and Team Breathe will be doing is the main reason I applied to run for this charity, to help support the future of lung health, whatever the condition.
I also lost my incredible Nanna Maureen in 2019, who suffered with COPD and asthma, so I’m running this in memory of her too 🤍🪽.
If you’re able to donate, no matter how big or small, I would be so grateful for your support towards my £2,500 target while I try to get through my training plan and somehow run 26.2 miles on race day. Let’s do this🏃🏼♀️🫁💜!!
