Half Marathon for BEAT - Eating Disorder Charity

Hi everyone, my name is Rosie and when I was 17, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. I was no longer allowed to go to school or leave the house, and was told I would have to resit year 13 as a result. It was the loneliest I have ever felt, especially as I was not given the proper care that I needed at the time. I didn’t see a way out, and had lost all hope for myself.

I somehow found the courage to recover without any medical care and solely being supported by my mum, studying 24/7 to be able to sit my A Levels and be able to go back to school, which I was able to do for my 18th birthday. It was physically and mentally exhausting, but it was all worth it as I managed to achieve 3 A* in my A Levels.

Since then, I continued to recovery by myself and never looked back. Now, I am about to turn 21, I am doing an amazing degree apprenticeship, I got my driving license, love to move my body and get stronger, and I see the world as my oyster. It breaks my heart to think of the scared, hopeless 17 year old Rosie who never in a million years thought she’d get to this point.

This year, I have decided to sign up to the Richmond Half Marathon, with my amazing boyfriend Harry, who has agreed to do this with me. I am doing this to raise money for BEAT, in the hopes that more research can be done around eating disorders, and to stop people being turned away from being let down by eating disorder services, like I was. I want to prove that anyone and everyone can recover, and that movement can be done in a healthy and empowering way. Any donation is extremely appreciated, and I thank you immensely for reading my story.

Love,

Rosie x