Why I am fundraising for Parkinson's UK
In 2027, I’ll be taking on the London Marathon to raise money for Parkinson’s UK — a cause that is incredibly close to my heart.
My grandad has Parkinson’s, and over the years I’ve watched someone who was once incredibly active and could walk for miles gradually lose his mobility. Today, he can no longer walk. Seeing that change firsthand has made me realise just how easy it is to take something as simple as being able to move our bodies for granted.
I’ve run a marathon before, and I always said I wouldn’t put myself through another one unless it was for something that genuinely meant enough to me. Running the London Marathon for Parkinson’s UK is that reason.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s. It is a progressive neurological condition that can affect movement in many ways, including slowness, stiffness, tremor, freezing and problems with balance. For my grandad, and for so many other people living with Parkinson’s, the ability to simply get up and walk is something that can gradually become more and more difficult.
Being active is a huge part of my own life. Whether I’m running, training for HYROX or weightlifting, I’m incredibly grateful that my body allows me to do these things. Knowing that Parkinson’s can take that freedom of movement away gives every training session and every mile a different perspective. If my grandad could once walk for miles but now can’t walk at all, then the very least I can do is use the mobility I’m fortunate enough to have and run 26.2 miles for him and everyone else affected by Parkinson’s.
This cause also means a lot to me professionally. I work as a medical device scientist within the pharmaceutical industry, where I see firsthand the role that drug-delivery devices and new technologies can play in helping patients manage their conditions and symptoms. For Parkinson’s specifically, treatments delivered through injection and infusion devices can help some people manage their symptoms. It makes the importance of continued research, innovation and access to better treatments feel even more real to me.
Every donation to Parkinson’s UK helps fund vital information and support for people affected by Parkinson’s, as well as groundbreaking research into better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Parkinson’s UK has already invested more than £130 million into research, but there is still so much more to be done.
So every mile I train and every mile I run on marathon day will be for my grandad, for everyone living with Parkinson’s, and for the families who have to watch someone they love gradually lose abilities that most of us never think twice about.
I know 26.2 miles will hurt — but I also know how lucky I am to be able to run them.
Any donation, no matter how big or small, would mean so much to me and my family. Thank you for supporting me, Parkinson’s UK, and the search for better treatments and a cure. 💙
