Running 4,000km in 2025: Breaking Barriers and Changing Live

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

In 2025, I’m embarking on an extraordinary journey: running 4,000 kilometers to support four deeply personal causes. This challenge isn’t just about physical endurance; it’s about breaking silences, offering hope, and creating a brighter future for vulnerable children, those battling cancer, and men facing infertility.

The Journey

This ambitious running challenge includes:

The Causes

This challenge supports four vital charities, each with a personal connection to my story:

1. Shelter UK: Combating Childhood Homelessness

At 12, my family lost everything in a house fire, leaving us homeless for two years. That instability shaped me, and no child should endure such hardship. Shelter UK works tirelessly to ensure every child has a safe place to call home.

2. Orchid: Fighting Male Cancer

Male cancer has cast a long shadow over my family. My father, a brave survivor, has taught me the true meaning of resilience. Orchid leads the fight against male cancers, funding research, education, and support for affected men.

3. Cancer Research UK: A Future Without Cancer

Cancer has taken too many loved ones, including my cousin Toni Lyn, who passed away from ovarian cancer at just 19. Cancer Research UK is at the forefront of developing treatments and improving early detection, offering hope for a cancer-free future.

4. HIMfertility: Breaking the Silence on Male Infertility

Our journey to parenthood wasn't easy. Our future child, whom we lovingly call our "little blueberry," is the result of a long, often painful struggle with infertility. But here's the twist many don't expect: the challenge was on my side, not my partner's. Infertility is often viewed as a women’s issue, but men account for around half of all infertility cases. HIMfertility supports men facing this challenge, raises awareness, and breaks the stigma surrounding male infertility.

Shelter

Shelter is a UK-based charity that advocates for and provides assistance to people experiencing homelessness or housing issues. Established in 1966, the organization focuses on ensuring that everyone has access to a safe and secure home. Shelter offers practical support, campaigns for policy changes, and works to address the root causes of housing insecurity.

Shelter provides free, confidential advice to individuals and families facing housing challenges, such as evictions, homelessness, or poor living conditions. Services include face-to-face consultations, a helpline, and an extensive online advice platform.

Shelter campaigns for changes in housing policies, focusing on issues like affordable housing, rental reforms, and homelessness prevention. The charity works to influence government policies to tackle the housing crisis and protect vulnerable individuals.

Research and Education

Shelter remains a vital resource for tackling homelessness and housing issues, providing hope and practical help to countless individuals and families across the UK.

ORCHID

Orchid is a UK-based charity dedicated to combating cancers impacting the men in our lives. Orchid focuses on research, awareness, and support services related to these diseases.

Mission and Objectives:

By focusing on research, awareness, and support, Orchid plays a crucial role in addressing male-specific cancers and supporting those affected by these conditions.

Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is one of the world’s leading cancer charities, dedicated to saving lives through research, education, and advocacy. Founded in 2002 through the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, it is based in the United Kingdom and works to reduce cancer mortality through advancements in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Cancer Research UK’s efforts continue to transform the outlook for people affected by cancer, driving forward scientific discoveries and providing hope for a cancer-free future.

HIMfertility

HIMfertility is a charity established to address male infertility, aiming to break the silence surrounding this issue and provide support to men and their partners. The campaign encourages open discussions about male fertility challenges and directs individuals to essential resources.

Infertility affects approximately 1 in 6 couples in the UK, with male factors contributing to about half of these cases. Despite this, societal reluctance to discuss male reproductive health often leaves men without adequate support. HIMfertility seeks to change this by promoting awareness and understanding of male infertility causes, debunking common myths, and providing access to support networks.

The campaign covers various causes of male infertility, including:

By fostering open conversations and providing support, HIMfertility aims to reduce the stigma associated with male infertility and ensure that men receive the assistance they need during their family-building journeys. HIMfertility educates men on the importance of reproductive health and encourages proactive measures.