Hi, I'm Hayden! I work in Sales and Marketing for Martello, an environmental reporting company. Through my work, I've had the pleasure of getting involved with Derby and District Law Society, which is how I was first introduced to Headway Derby and the amazing work they do.
I was lucky enough to meet Emma Morris and Charli Ashcroft through the Law Society, and hearing about the support Headway Derby provides to people affected by brain injury, as well as their families and carers, really stuck with me. It's such an important cause, and I'm incredibly excited to be running the 2027 London Marathon to help raise funds and awareness for the charity.
As for my running journey, I'm definitely no professional! I've completed one trail marathon before, which was great fun but unbelievably hilly, so I thought I'd try my hand at a road marathon instead. I'm currently training for the Valencia Marathon on 6th December, although I'll admit I'm not quite hitting the weekly mileage I'd originally hoped for! Hopefully, Valencia will be a good stepping stone towards London in April.
I'm really looking forward to taking on the challenge of the London Marathon, particularly knowing I'll be running for such a brilliant local charity. Having met some of the team and heard about the difference they make, it's going to be a fantastic motivation to get through those tougher training sessions and the inevitable pain cave on race day!
In terms of fundraising, I'm hoping to get friends, family, colleagues and my wider professional network involved. Through Martello and the connections I've made with Derby and District Law Society, I'd love to help spread the word about Headway Derby, encourage donations and hopefully organise a few fundraising activities along the way.
I'm really grateful for the opportunity to represent Headway Derby and can't wait to get started. Hopefully, I can raise a great amount for the charity, enjoy the experience and make it across the finish line in one piece!
Fun fact
My first marathon was a trail marathon with far more hills than I'd bargained for. Apparently, that wasn't enough to put me off, as I've now signed myself up for two more marathons in the space of five months! Clearly, I haven't learnt my lesson.