My journey to the Neapolis Marathon

Hi there! 

Firstly, thank you for already making it this far and to my page!

I am going to try and keep this short and sweet, so for a more in depth look into my journey and why I am supporting my good friend Rosie and her new foundation, follow my instagram handle below:

@findingshane_

Thank you!

For those of you that are stuck in the 90s (or have broken out of the matrix!), please continue reading...

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There are many inspirational people in this world. And for the most part, we gaze upon them with awe from a (hopefully) non-intrusive distance or through our device screens. I, however, have had the distinct pleasure of spending my childhood and adolescence living under the same roof as one of these elusive heroes.

Some would say it would be cruel to not wish for different circumstances, it has actually been an honour watching and helping my little sister through the tumultuous struggles of her life. 

Struggles there were and struggles there still are, but I've been very lucky in watching my sister flourish and triumph, too.

She has a successful career, bought her own home and is the most amazing granddaughter to my nan, "The Duchess". Her biggest accomplishment though, is the love she's found and life she's made with her partner, Luke. Watching the two of them tick off their bucket list point by point is one of the greatest experiences an older brother could have wished for.

Among other complications, Jay, like Rosie, was born with Cerebral Palsy. 

Compared to many others, Jay was fortunate enough for it not to immobilise her. On the other hand she was unfortunate enough two undergo numerous surgeries to her achilles and be subjected to wearing leg splints for the majority of her younger years.

Through her unabating determination and the support of her friends, family and of course the NHS, Jay made it through the darkest years early on and moved on to be able to live a "normal" life.

However, when you reach the age of 16 as a child with cerebral palsy, one of these pillars of support vanishes unapologetically and without warning. In case you hadn't guessed, this would be the unattended, cracked and crumbling pillar of the NHS. 

Jay is what I like to call, one of the "lucky ones"...

..."lucky" in the sense that her pillars of determination, friends and family were so strong, she remained robust and unswayed as the last toppled. For many though, i'm afraid this is not the case. Whether it be the faltering of the other pillars or the sheer severity of their condition, they are desperately in need of that professional support and yet, they are simply cast out into the wilderness of life. Alone.

Since seeing her on TV, Jay has idolised Rosie. Seeing how Rosie has meandered her way through her life with abundance is an inspiration to her, as they both are inspirations to me.

Through the lovechild of drinking too much, bad business decisions and what some would call a divine intervention, Rosie appeared in my life at the beginning of this year. Shortly after, I arranged a dinner for the pair to meet and was party to one of the most humbling conversations one could hope be a part of.

I had recently decided to take my fitness and health a lot more seriously and put out more online content surrounding this change in my life and the journey i was embarking on. So after some laughs, some tears and a 30 second cameo from a footballer's wife, I had agreed to raise funds for the newly set up Rosie Jones Foundation. 

Rosie set up this charity specifically to aid and support adults and adolescents with cerebral palsy who are now forced to live without any professional support. Whether this may be support with mobility, mental health or simply being given support structure to allow them to get out and socialise with others, the Rosie Jones Foundation is on a mission to help with it all. 

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Well, after that incredibly long attempt of impersonating Michael Aspel, the time is finally here to ask for your help. To start my fundraising journey with Rosie, I will be running the Naples Marathon on 19th October 2025.

My coaches at Willers Fitness have set me a mammoth time of 3:30:00 to achieve.

This is my first ever full marathon.

I would love to be able to raise a nice round figure of £1000 in these three short months to hit the ground running (see what i did there?).

Any support will be greatly appreciated and in return i promise to give my all to attaining this fantastic time in aid of my sister, Rosie and the rest of the adult Cerebral Palsy community in the UK.

Thank you for your time. You may donate now.

Shane