My Story

This year, I’ve been given Tino’s London Marathon place — not by choice, but with purpose.

I am not a runner. But I will give absolutely everything I have to get myself around 26 miles for Tino, for our family, and for the incredible team at the Paul Strickland Cancer Centre.

Tino was first diagnosed with cancer in 2010. In 2013, shortly after our daughter was born, the cancer spread to his lymph nodes. When we first met Professor Rustin, who was treating Tino, he said - smartly dressed in his signature dickie bow — “I will treat Tino and get rid of the cancer if Tino can run the London Marathon.”

Tino kept his promise and ran the London Marathon in 2015. At the time, none of us fully understood what that moment would come to mean. But Professor Rustin and his team kept their promise too and Tino became cancer-free. Not once, but twice!

We owe them everything.

Thanks to regular scans, Tino’s cancer was detected early, giving him the best possible chance. Life since then hasn’t been easy. He has lost part of his hearing due to chemotherapy, suffered a stroke, and is now awaiting further radiotherapy. Yet through all of this, we have never forgotten the dedication, skill, and compassion of the team who have stood by us every step of the way.

This marathon is about so much more than running.

It’s about gratitude, resilience, and hope. It’s about saying thank you to the Paul Strickland Cancer Centre for their extraordinary work in detecting cancer early and giving families like ours more time together.

I will keep going — even if I have to walk, even if I have to crawl!!

Every step I take will be for them and every donation, no matter the size, will help them continue the life-saving work that has meant so much to our family.

Thank you so much for your support 💛