My Story

I am doing the 2023 Great Scottish Run -- my first half marathon -- and raising funds for Refuweegee. Established in 2015, Refuweegee is a community-led charity dedicated to providing support to individuals and families who have been forcibly displaced and have recently arrived in Glasgow. It strives to ensure that people who have had to flee their homes arrive in Scotland to a warm welcome and receive essentials that that will hopefully help them to feel more at home.

Why am I raising funds for Refuweegee, as opposed to any other deserving charity? Well, I have thought about doing a half-marathon for a while now -- first the Covid-19 pandemic and then having a baby put the idea on hold -- and made the commitment to myself last year that I would do the Great Scottish Run in 2023. The importance of following through on this was reinforced by the recent death of a dear friend and colleague. Johanna was full of compassion and had endless care for others. She also lived a rich and full life, always seeking out new experiences and cherishing the big standout moments as much as the small, everyday ones. Johanna passed away on 20 July 2023, one day shy of her 40th birthday. And so I am doing the Great Scottish Run in Johanna's memory, chanelling her outgoing and adventurous spirit and raising money for Refuweegee, one of her chosen charities. The date of the race is two days after my 40th birthday, a milestone I've previously been ambivalent about marking but which I now plan to embrace.