Running the marathon in memory of Emily Patel

My beautiful sister, Emily Marina Patel, died on 13th January 2022.

Emily was loved and cherished by so many, and her passing has left a huge void in our lives.

To honour Emily's memory, I will be running the Windermere Marathon, in the Lake District, on 18th May 2024.

This consists of 26.2 miles and an elevation gain of 2000 ft. I'm told the views are nice though...

Emily was kind, caring and deeply empathetic. The pain and suffering of others impacted her profoundly, and she was a dedicated sister, daughter, girlfriend and friend.

Emily was also a passionate advocate for mental health.

I am therefore raising money for Young Minds Trust.

Young Minds is leading the movement to make sure every young person gets the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what.

Young Minds provides young people with tools to look after their mental health. They empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And they amplify young voices to change the world we live in.

This will be my first marathon, and I'd like to think that Emily would be proud of me.

During the Covid lockdowns, we both -- somewhat unoriginally -- kickstarted an exercise regime, consisting of YouTube workouts, yin yoga and socially distanced laps around the local park. After a few of these laps (definitely nowhere near even 5km), we would return home, huffing and puffing, reminded of why we never previously chose to pursue running in our free time.

Fast forward four years, and running long distances has become one of my favourite things to do. I might even be getting half decent at it. Fitness and exercise saved me when I was grieving, giving me strength, resilience and purpose.

As I embark on run after run, often in the cold and wet North of England, I think about Emily's wise words, from her poem 'Ability to Overcome':

I saw past my own pain,

I saw sunshine, not rain.

I overcame,

And I want you to do the same.

Any donation you can provide, no matter how great or small, would mean the world to me.

Thank you for your support :)