MAIRI

Why we are fundraising for Parkinson's UK

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!

This year, I’m taking part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon 2026 to raise vital funds for Parkinson’s UK, a cause that is incredibly close to my heart.

I grew up watching my grandmother live with Parkinson’s disease, and as I got older, I witnessed first-hand the gradual impact it had on her health, independence and quality of life. Seeing someone I loved go through this had a huge impact on me and helped shape my interest in medicine.

This personal experience inspired my university dissertation on mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease, where I explored how impaired mitochondrial function can contribute to neuronal death and how understanding these pathways could help develop better treatments. I hope to carry this interest in neurodegeneration into my future medical career and contribute to improving outcomes for patients.

Running the Royal Parks Half Marathon is a small way for me to give back and support a cause that means so much to me and my family.

Any donation, no matter how big or small, would mean a lot to me and will help support Parkinson’s UK’s work in research, care and support for those affected by Parkinson’s.

Thank you so much for your support — every donation will help get me one step closer to my goal! ❤️