We’re Roisin and Shaya and we are taking on a Hybrid fitness challenge to raise money for Touchstones Child Bereavement Support. We are doing this together not just for the physical challenge, but to support a cause that is deeply personal to both of us.

Roisin - In 2016, when I was 16 years old, my four siblings, James, Caitlin, Ferne and Sean, and I lost our beautiful mum Andrea after years of battling cancer.

My mum was the strongest and most special person I have ever known. When doctors told her she only had months to live, she defied the odds and fought for years longer so she could be there for us. Losing a parent at such a young age changed my life forever.

I was incredibly lucky to have an amazing support system around me, including my aunty Sarah and my grandma Elaine, who took all five of us in and supported us through the hardest time of our lives.

My mum taught me everything I know. She was creative, determined, and never let anything stop her from doing exactly what she wanted to do. She is my inspiration in everything I do, and I am sure she would love the challenge we are taking on.

Grief at a young age is confusing, and it can be hard to understand what you are feeling. That is why it is so important that children and young people going through something like this have the right support.

Shaya - When I was 12, my mum, Dipna, passed away after a 7 year battle with breast cancer. Even while facing such a devastating illness, she continued to raise her two children and fill our home with the kind of warmth only a mum can bring.

She was a woman full of life, she loved a party, a glass of wine, dancing, painting, talking for hours, and those soul connections. She had the kind of personality people were drawn to instantly. Even from a first meet, she left such a strong impression; her energy and soul was just special.

She taught me resilience, strength, creativity, love, and how important it is to be a ray of sunshine, even during the hardest times. No matter how much pain she was in, she always found a way to smile and keep going. The older I get, the more I realise how extraordinary that strength really was, and how much it has shaped me into the woman I am today. I feel proud to have a mum like her in this life.

At 12, I don’t think you really understand grief properly. You just carry on because that’s all you know how to do, I started secondary school three days later. It’s only years later you realise how much something like that shapes you.

That’s why raising money for Touchstones means a lot to me. Support like this can help children navigate loss in a way many of us never knew how to at that age.

Through this challenge, we hope to raise money to help Touchstones continue the incredible work they do supporting bereaved children and families. It costs around £350 for them to support each child, and with around 130 new children coming to them every year they need to raise roughly £45,000 annually to fund this vital work, relying heavily on public donations and fundraising. If our fundraising helps even one young person feel supported during such a difficult time, then every step of the challenge will be worth it.

Thank you so much,

Roisin & Shaya