Malaga Marathon

I said I would never run a full marathon..... but I am!

Every child should have stability and consistency in their social and school lives. We often overlook the demands a military life can have on children. Little Troopers helps these youngsters cope with separation, deployment, house moves and living abroad.

I was not a military child but the work that Little Troopers does resonates with me as I moved around a lot as a child - one year was spent in 3 different schools! Constant reassessment of my educational ability meant fluctuating input from schools, at times I was the top of the class and pushed harder, other times left to my own devices. In one school I was unable to access the full curriculum as I had only studied one language instead of two and so I had "free lessons" much to the envy of my other classmates. Potential educational time was wasted. In another school they took my learning very seriously and ordered in maths books specifically for me.

Making friends was challenging. At times, I was a curiosity and everyone wanted to be my friend, at other times I would alienate myself by comparing my new school and home to my last and making people feel unappreciated. This was possibly a knee-jerk reaction to having an absent parent as we lived in different places at times.

I said I would never run a full marathon but never say never! Today is the start of my marathon training plan. It is a day when I am remembering my Mum who was my constant cheer leader and my dear friend Mark whose last words to me were "Have a good run! Would love a run."

My first goal is to tackle my mental stamina and then I will start to build my physical fitness. I need to believe in myself and my ability to achieve this personal challenge. I came to Gibraltar 4 years ago with my family (and dog!) and luckily the skills I learnt as a nomadic child helped me to integrate myself and my children here. I am supported by a group of runners at CorreLibre who celebrate my successes, no matter how small the achievement. This approach is very similar to Little Troopers who wrap around the child and the family to give them support when they need it and a safe place to express their emotions. This is invaluable and as a Permanent Joint Operating Base for UK operations, a lot of families are deployed to Gibraltar.

My mother was a Civilian MOD employee and Little Troopers was the charity of choice my friend Mark nominated. This completes my reasons for wanting to fundraise for Little Troopers and I hope you will support me to make a real difference for these children and their families. littletroopers.net/