I was born and raised in York, UK. My father grew up in Oussouye, Southern Senegal. My grandparents never went to school or learnt to read or write.

From a young age I always had a strong interest in Africa and helping children out there. I visited Senegal as an eight year-old child and had treasued memories of running around barefoot in the sand with the children. However, it wasn't until I had finished college in 2001 that I had the oppertunity to travel out to Senegal and really experience what life was like for people living in poverty.

Most of my father's family still live in Oussouye, so I spent four months living and teaching at the local school and staying with my uncle and his family. The experience totally changed my life, I had to communicate in French and adapt to the living conditions. I was regularly asked to provide dictionaries and books for the school and my initial response was "Sorry I can't", as there were simply too many requests.

After returning to the UK, I couldn't forget the children's plea's for help and during a regular long-distance run, the idea of doing a nationwide charity run came to me.

Running For Life Launch - July 2003

Turning the dream into a reality. Running for Life is born. With the help of family, friends, and many generous businesses and organisations we were able to lauch a 200 mile (322km) run.

The run started at York Minster and ended at the famous Westminster Abbey in London. It took me three weeks and was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.The idea of Running for Life was to give children in Senegal an opportunity in life by providing books, resources and an area to study in after school.