Laura's London Marathon

Hi everyone! Firstly, let me introduce myself to those who may not know me very well. I'm Laura, I'm 37 and I'm a mother of two beautiful children. Before becoming a mother I studied English at University then took a completely different direction and became Cabin Crew for Virgin Atlantic where I flew around the world for 11 glorious years! When I had my first child I carried on flying part time then when I became pregnant again I decided to hang up my wings and find a job at home. I am now a full time mum and work evenings at Blaby Co-op. (A job which I really enjoy as I get to meet and chat to lots of people ). So, why the London Marathon? Well, I've always loved running (as well as keeping me fit it allows me to have some much needed time to myself !) I value this time so much now I am a busy mum as I love putting my earphones in and zoning out even for just 30 minutes! Running the London Marathon is something I've always dreamed of doing and actually thought it was something I would do in my 20s if at all! But when I run it in April I will be 38 and I've got to say age really is just a number because I am fitter now after having 2 kids than I've ever been! The challenge for me now is to fit in the strict training schedule in with the job and two kids but I'm determined to do it and well! I applied for a charity place to run the London Marathon for Cancer Research because this is a charity I really hold close to my heart and value. A year before I had my daughter I lost my wonderful father to pancreatic cancer. It was the most devestating thing to have to go through -to watch my father suffer in pain was heartbreaking. My dad was amazingly brave and hid the true extent of his suffering and pain from us and he never complained to me- I think the only negative thing he said was when the chemo left him feeling very sick. Unfortunately the cancer was too far advanced that nothing could save my dad, the chemo just prolonged his life a little. I miss my dad dearly- I wish he had been able to meet his grandchildren and I wish he was still alive to see them grow up.I am going to be running with my dad's name (Steve) on the back of my vest because I am running in his memory, for the amazing person that he was. I'm also running for my Father In-Law Paul, who is currently going through a battle with cancer and is undergoing radiotherapy. We are hoping that he responds well to this treatment and are thankful that advances in treatment mean there are more options available now. And I'm running for all the people that have been lost to this dreadful disease or who are currently battling with it. Cancer Research is an amazing charity that spends £300 million each year on world-class research and they receive no government funding-so they rely on people like me and you! A little bit of info- in the 1970s around a quarter of people diagnosed with cancer in the UK survived the disease for 10 years or more. Today, half of people diagnosed with cancer survive. Cancer Research want to go further, faster. Within 20 years they want to see three quarters of people surviving all cancers. We all know someone who cancer has affected (or may be currently affecting) and if you feel the same as me, I want to do my upmost to stop this disease from persisting in the future so that ourselves and our loved ones will never be affected. I would really appreciate donations, no matter how small , to help me hit my target of £3000 so that I can run the London Marathon feeling that we are helping to make changes! Cancer is happening right now, which is why I’m raising money for Cancer Research UK. There’s no time to lose! Donate to my page today and help bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.