I have always enjoyed running and I am always up for a challenge! I completed the London Marathon earlier this year and its one of the only races I ran just for me and for my own pleasure. I enjoyed every moment of that race. I want to do something in 2018 where I will be able to help a charity by fundraising and the one place that feels so special and worthy to me is the wonderful Torre Argentina in Rome!It was an obvious choice.

When I visited I was made to feel so welcome and have since started to "volunteer at a distance" writing for them on their social media. The people are wonderful and work so so hard! The cats who come here are very lucky for many arrive in a bad way. They are given a lifelong home if they cannot be re-homed due to disabilities or some even may be too feral and find their own way of coping and often retreat to their own solace within the ruins on the site. Many are blind, missing legs, have suffered trauma from car accidents, some have ears removed due to cancer from the warm Roman sun and many require a lot of medical care.

Many just live happily in the nursery where people from all around the world visit them everyday and they are pampered with tulip beds, private fountains, chicken and fish parties on the weekend and endless cuddles! Each cat is unique and special in their own way but one boy caught my heart and the hearts of many others too! Sweet Gianburrasca who sadly passed away on the 11th August 2017.

I never really recovered from his passing and I don't know why, maybe I don't need to know why, it just is the way it is sometimes but there is not a day goes by when I don't think of him. He was wonderful and I continue to carry him with me in my heart as I go through life. This run is a wonderful way to honour his memory to raise money for the other cats who still need help and care.

The race is certainly a tough one having done this on the 20 mile course twice already! I have an extra 15 miles to run and its not a forgiving course... uphill..downhill.... track... grass... shale....twisty, and once I even got lost and ended up doing 23 miles by mistake...oops... now I know the course I hope that wont happen again.. especially on the 35 miles...!!! My husband will also be running and he will do the 50 mile race! So its a joint effort and a husband and wife team. I shall run with pride in my soul and love in my heart for the ones I hold dear to me. To all the volunteers I thank you for all the hard work you do! This race is and will be hard but small in comparison to what you do everyday. Thank you!!!