Why Abbie is taking on the London Marathon 2025 in aid of Blue Smile
Abbie Macmillan-Jones, who lives in Harston and works on the Addenbrooke’s campus, will tackle the London Marathon on Sunday (27 April) in aid of the children’s mental health charity Blue Smile.
She was motivated to support the charity after witnessing how mental health impacts children’s development.
Abbie said: “Blue Smile is an incredible local children’s mental health charity dedicated to improving the lives and wellbeing of children across Cambridgeshire.
“They deliver free mental health support directly in schools for children aged 3-13, delivered by qualified therapists and counsellors to the children that need it.
“This is so important as more children are struggling with mental health than ever before.
“Intervention at an early age is hugely advantageous and can change the lives of disadvantaged and struggling children, setting them up for a bright future.”
Originally from South Wales, Abbie has been living and working here for the past six years since graduating from university.
“I first heard about Blue Smile two years ago and I was hugely impressed with the work they do,” she said.
“I have witnessed first-hand how mental health can affect child growth and development and it's incredibly important to me to try and contribute to a future where every child can get the support they need.
“As such, I decided I wanted to make a difference and three years ago I challenged myself to be someone who can make a difference.
“This was at the time when I was really struggling; I had just dislocated (and personally relocated) my kneecap in a rugby game and was told while I had a good chance of resuming a normal lifestyle, the likelihood of me returning to ‘intense’ physical activity was very low.
“I wasn’t able to walk unassisted for two months following the incident. I decided it was the perfect time to challenge myself, set a goal to not only return to physical activity but in aid of a much bigger motivation, to raise money for struggling children.”
She added: “I started training and last year, I was able to complete the Yeovil Half Marathon. Now, I'll be running the London Marathon to continue my journey.
“The final destination is the aim to complete an ultra marathon, all to raise money for Blue Smile and make sure that young children struggling in Cambridgeshire don't have to struggle alone.”
Visit Abbie’s JustGiving page at tinyurl.com/3j8f8ysx.
