Hi, I'm Monika and some of you already know, my love for animals is both deep and borderline excessive.

At home we run what can only be described as a small petting zoo... 2 dogs, 4 cats, and an ongoing belief that 'you can never have too many animals!'

This obsession started when I was about 8 years old and used to bring home street dogs and declare them as part of the family, much to my parents’ despair. Luckily, even back then my negotiation skills were second to none: 'If the dog goes, I go'. Miraculously, the dogs stayed.

A few years ago, during a snowboarding trip to Bansko, I found Bansko Street Dogs (https://banskostreetdogs.com/), an amazing charity doing the gritty, unglamorous, heartbreaking, relentless work of helping street dogs and educating locals (the education bit is… a journey).

Sarah, who runs the shelter, is my real-life superhero. The first time I worked alongside her I promised myself I’d help however I could. So, every Christmas, instead of eating mince pies and relaxing like a normal person, I fly out to Bulgaria and roll around in dog hair while volunteering. And yes, I’ll be doing it again this year, honestly, I can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas than surrounded by dogs that have no place to call their home. Fear not my own petting zoo is always very well taken care of by other human servants whilst I'm away.

Now for the unexpected twist in the plot: at the end of last year, Abbot World Marathon Majors emailed me to say I’d qualified for the Abbot World Major Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships in Cape Town this May. Obviously I said YES, because who turns that down?

So, to celebrate, I’m doing what I do best, running far too many miles and raising funds for a charity that means the world to me!

Training is going well so far: double sessions are back with a vengeance, I’ve reunited with heavy weights at the gym, and I’m proudly eating my own bodyweight in carbs. I’ve already ticked off a half marathon in Naples with a new PB, and next up is the Hanover Marathon in April, followed by the big one - the Age Group World Championship marathon on 24th May in Cape Town. My coach has even graciously allowed me a whole week off after Hanover. So generous.....

And this is where you lovely animal loving humans come in…

The shelter desperately needs a new fence for the doggos. If you could spare a few pounds, truly anything helps, it would make a huge difference. Every penny goes straight to improving the lives of the dogs who have no one else.

Thank you, from me and from all the very good boys and girls.

Woof woof