Abi’s Story 

My connection to Crohn’s & Colitis UK came through supporting my mum, Carolyn. Following her Colitis diagnosis, my Mum had incredibly invasive and complicated surgery. Although the surgery was a success, she has since lived with severe, life-changing symptoms and persistent issues.

Furthering our knowledge of the disease through vital research and scientific discovery, will hopefully mean one day we find a cure. This ethos closely aligns with Crohn’s & Colitis UK’s mission and why I chose to fundraise for the charity. 

I’m an active member of a few local running groups/clubs in East London and I love the community and the opportunities it brings. London is my home and supposedly one of the best marathons in the world both in terms of atmosphere and the course itself - so I was absolutely chuffed to find out I’d got a place running for a cause so incredibly close to my heart. 

New Balance & SportsShoes got in contact with me in early December and asked if I’d like to represent them in their community-led approach to their marathon campaign, I was thrilled and jumped at the opportunity! 

The remit involves creating content around running, my training and community and encouraging others to get active. I also get to meet some extremely talented sponsored athletes. I’m so happy that I could take on this opportunity whilst still fundraising and raising awareness for Crohn’s & Colitis UK. 

If there is one thing I’ve learnt from my training so far it is definitely….taking it slow and steady! My approach generally in life is to get as many things done as possible, as quickly as I can but with marathon training, you almost have to turn that ideology on its head. Trying to stay injury-free and healthy is of the utmost importance, especially when you’re trying to increase your mileage. One of the hardest challenges for me has been to gently ease myself into those longer training runs and enjoy the journey.  

Carolyn’s Story

I was diagnosed with Colitis shortly after I gave birth to Abi, in 1995. I became sick very quickly and ended up undergoing surgery to try to counteract the symptoms (proctocolectomy with ileoanal pouch). Unfortunately, for about 3 years post-op I was still very sick and vulnerable with a hugely reduced immunity. This meant I was hospitalised for a good period of that time and had bouts of anaemia and pneumonia.

Since my recovery, things have improved significantly, but it still means I live with severe, ongoing bowel issues, such as pouchitis, and have a vastly different quality of life. There were points of time in both my diagnosis-period and post-surgery where I felt incredibly isolated, ashamed, and alone.

For the sake of my family, I’ve often attempted to soldier through but sometimes it’s difficult and I especially found managing my job at British Airways and bringing up the subject with colleagues hard, as not many people understand or have experienced the condition.

I’d never even heard of Colitis prior to my diagnosis. Without the support and knowledge I received from Crohn’s & Colitis UK, I’m certain I would have found my recovery and management a lot more difficult. The standout work that the charity does for me has been the removal of shame and stigma surrounding the condition. More recently, with the support of the helpline, I feel like I can speak to someone instantly who will appreciate the difficulties and hardship. It helps tremendously to know I’m not alone.

Abi has always loved running. I was incredibly excited that she’d chosen to channel that passion and put her hobby to fantastic use.

I’ve always been worried that Abi wouldn’t quite understand why that was and therefore, when she informed me that she was running in support of my history with Colitis and the charity, I was touched.