Ailith's Not Leeds Half-Marathon

So.... with the opening of 21 Co. I resigned myself to a fallow fundraising challenge year this year... time has been short and whatever time there has been it has been very important to be with my family! 

But, when someone who was going to be running Leeds Half-Marathon for Sunshine & Smiles pulled out a few weeks ago due to injury I didn't want the place to go to waste .. so I bought it!!! 

With little time for training and very little running happening generally... I am definitely not in the best shape to be running a half-marathon... and this week I have thought long & hard about the run and whether it is realistic to try to run it... 

For lots of reasons I have decided to run my own, Not Leeds Half Marathon ... firstly, because I don't think my tired and untrained legs will cope with 13.1 miles of concrete, secondly, because if I were to run it it would take up at least half a day of precious family time .. and thirdly because there are 4 people running for Sunshine & Smiles who will really need a cheer as they head up the Ring Road to Lawnswood Roundabout!! 

So, on the same day as Leeds Half Marathon I will be aiming to get out and stagger 13.1 miles, be back in time for breakfast and then to go on cheer on our Sunshine & Smiles runners on the ring road! 

Most people know how important Sunshine & Smiles is for us ... Thalia accesses Speech & Language therapy monthly, she has learnt to swim at our specialist swimming sessions, she can sing in a round thanks to our wonderful Made with Music sessions, she can dance like nobody's watching .. all the time ... and she has so many wonderful friends... and also amazing role models in the young people who work at 21 Co. 

All of our sessions are free to Sunshine & Smiles families to make sure that everyone can access the support they need ... but of course we have to fund raise & apply for funding constantly to sustain & develop the work that we do! 

Please help me to help Sunshine & Smiles keep going & growing!