I'm taking part in the TCS London Marathon as part of #TeamStroke
I joined #TeamStroke for the TCS London Marathon 2026.
In 2021, my mum had a stroke at the London Marathon – not while running it, but while cheering from the sidelines. Ironically, the only way she ever imagined getting round a marathon was in the back of an ambulance… and that’s exactly how it happened. She was rushed by St John's Ambulance to King's College Hospital, where within two hours it was confirmed: she’d had a stroke, with complete paralysis on her left side.
What followed was a long, challenging journey — 6 weeks in Lewisham Hospital, 6 months in Blackheath Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre, and eventually, a referral to the incredible Queen Square Upper Limb Programme. But through every setback, my mum never gave in. Her determination, grit, and wicked sense of humour carried her — and all of us — through the darkest days.
Today, although her arm is still “on holiday” and we keep a close watch when she’s chopping onions, she’s come further than we ever thought possible. She faces every single day with strength, laughter, and an unwavering belief that she will get her life back — and she’s not stopping until she does.
2026 marks five years since that life-changing day — and I can’t think of a better way to honour her fight than by running the London Marathon in support of the Stroke Association.
I’m running for the strongest person I know. I’m running for her courage, her fire, her endless resilience. I’m running because I am so proud to be her child.
Please donate whatever you can — every single pound helps support stroke survivors, their families and their carers on their road to recovery.
Thank you 💜
