I'm taking part in the 2014 Melbourne Marathon Festival and hoping to raise funds for the The Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation that supports research into diseases of the brain and nervous system.

The multi-disciplinary hospital based neuroscience research team is Australasia's largest and is available whenever patients need access to one of the Foundation's world leading neuroscience research programs at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.

AND - Research is the future.  

My sister was diagnosed with epilepsy from a very young age and over the years, her quality of life, her mobility and ability to do everyday things, which you and I take for granted, has declined over time. This has had a flow on effect for the level of care which she needs and also has an impact on our family, particularly my mother who is her primary carer. Research into new treatments will help my sister and others with epilepsy to improve their quality of life, and better manage their condition.

There are so many amazing ideas, new medications, procedures and people doing some amazing research in finding new ways to manage and while it might seem a long way off… maybe find cure for epilepsy.

In Australia 1 in 26 people are diagnosed as having epilepsy. It can affect anyone, at any age though most frequently diagnosed in infancy, childhood, adolescence and old age.

According to the World Health Organisation, epilepsy is the world's most common serious brain disorder.

·      It is estimated that over 225,000 Australians are living with epilepsy

·      Approximately 25,000 people in Australia are diagnosed with epilepsy each year

·      An estimated 2.4 million new cases occur each year globally

I am honoured to be a part of this amazing race and helping a great cause, and I’d really appreciate your support in tackling my first ever half marathon!