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Name: Laura Ann Edwards
Why are you taking part in #challenge15? I decided to take part in #challenge15 because I am a huge advocate of all the work Sands do, plus I have recently got back into running and this year I am aiming to complete a number of running challenges/events.
After losing my son Logan in October 2015 shortly after he was born, I don't think I would be where I am now if it wasn't for Sands. I was so lost in the ups and downs of grief and not knowing what to so with my life without my son. I was supposed to be a mum, watching my boy grow up. All that was taken away from me in a split second and I didn't know what I was meant to do next. I threw myself back into work and 14 months later I had my son Joshua.
I had it in my head that having another child would fill the void and make things easier, but in many ways it was harder and reminded me of all the things I had been deprived of with Logan. I love Joshua to bits and in many others ways he has saved me and I'm so thankful to be a mum, to be able to watch him grow up.
After losing Logan, I needed something to focus on so started doing a lot of fundraising for my local Sands group and challenging myself to achieve new things. Last September I was encouraged to start running again which in my late teens was one of my favourite things to do. Running gives me time to think. When I run nothing matters. If I am angry or upset I just run, It's my time.
To begin with I found it a real chore and wanted to give up having no faith that I could enjoy running again and build up my distance but I kept it up and decided that this year I want to take part in a 10k and half marathon event to recognise my achievement.
What are you doing to complete your #challenge15? When I saw the Sands #Challenge15 on Facebook I thought to myself... this will give me more of a reason to achieve my goal to run a half marathon, so there and then I signed up to #Challenge15 and shared my goal on my own Facebook. So I have nowhere to hide and this will encourage me to achieve my goal and ask my friends and family to support me and help me raise the £150 or more for Sands as part of #Challenge15. I am currently running 12k so I am half way to my half marathon distance and going that little bit further to achieve 15 miles for Sands.
What are your top tips for fundraising? Share your story, the importance of Sands and why you are taking part in this challenge. I will be keeping all my supporters updated on my progress so they can see how their support is spurring me on and how I am getting there. I have been looking for a half marathon to sign up to and I can't wait to be able to share a picture of me having completed it and the immense proud look on my face I'll have.
Also thanking people for supporting me is really important because it means so much and helps keep me motivated knowing people want to support me, to help support Sands because they supported me.
Online donation page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/laura-edwards49