Alice Wright, who comes from Great Dunmow, is excited to be running her first London Marathon next weekend (April 23). Alice, 26, who is working as a financial analyst whilst studying accountancy in London, is aiming to raise £2,000 for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF), a charity which means a lot to her.
“When I was six weeks old I was diagnosed with Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (A1AD), a type of liver disease that is a genetic disorder and lifelong,” explains Alice. “Luckily for me, it was caught super early which meant my parents were able to guide me properly and I knew what I should and shouldn’t do in order to be as healthy as possible. With the help of the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, my parents were able to understand my illness, find out how best to look after me and get support from other parents going through the same thing.
“The charity provides so much support for parents in this situation as well as helping children and young adults connect with others who understand what they’re living with – it can sometimes be quite lonely!
“I’m a keen runner and have always wanted to do the London Marathon one day (what runner doesn’t!) so when I saw the opportunity to do it for CLDF I jumped at the chance, particularly because my dad ran it years ago and I wanted him to be proud of me for doing it as well.
“Training has gone well, I’m getting pretty close to my fundraising target and now I’m feeling really excited and I’m ready to get out there and enjoy the good vibes! I am also a little scared but I know it will be amazing. I’d like to make it round in under four hours but my main aim is to complete it, raise as much as I can and know I’ve given something back to a charity which is very close to my heart.”
Rebecca Cooper, Chief Executive of Children’s Liver Disease Foundation commented: “CLDF is the only UK charity dedicated to fighting all childhood liver diseases, by providing information and emotional support, funds for research and a voice for all those affected. In order to do this, however, we rely on voluntary donations, so we are delighted that Alice is doing the London Marathon for us. It’s wonderful to know that a young person who has grown up with a liver disease is fit and well enough to take on such a challenge and we wish her all the very best for the day.”
You can support Alice’s London Marathon challenge by going to Children’s Liver Disease Foundation: Alice Wright (enthuse.com)
For more information on CLDF visit childliverdisease.org.
