I want to take a moment to share my story and the reason behind creating this JustGiving page. Eight years ago, my late husband Mike ran the London Marathon. Mike was an incredible father, a loving husband, and a man whose kindness and generosity touched everyone he met. Giving to others and to the community freely and without hesitation was simply who he was. When Mike passed away, he left a huge hole in both mine and my daughter’s lives. In order to cope, I began finding strength and healing through challenges that pushed me forward. Just days after his passing, my brother took me to a local gym. It became a place where I could carve out time for myself — to move, to heal, and to achieve something, when everything else felt unachievable.

The mantras “this too shall pass” and “grief is love with nowhere to go” stayed with me. Eventually, I ran the London Marathon myself — not only in memory of Mike, but as a message to others that there is strength in simply showing up and putting one foot in front of the other.

Recently, I was invited by SFC to take part in a three-day, 233-mile challenge from Florence to Rome. This journey is teaching me that strength continues to be found in connection, love, and relationships — and that sometimes moving through physical pain can help process emotional pain. I share my story in the hope that it reaches someone who needs to hear it: in your darkest moments, healing and achievement are still possible.