Where are you from originally?

Whisper it quietly, but I'm a Southerner. I was born in Essex but grew up in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. Since then I've lived in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Nottingham, Bishop's Stortford again, and now I'm in Strensall.

How long have you been running and what got you running in the first place?

In June 2022 I weighed nearly 24 stone. I started walking for exercise, covering very short distances at first. In March 2023 I tried running for the first time, on a treadmill, and I can see that I managed 3.8km in 38 minutes. It took over a year to build up the confidence to run outside, and in August last year I found some nice folks to run with in the Haxby Runners.

What do you like to do when you’re not running (our “what a silly question”)?

I play football two or three times a week and watch Arsenal, albeit from a distance these days. I'm also a keen Formula 1 fan. I love food, which goes some way to explaining how I got to 24 stone, and I enjoy cooking and baking. I run to support my cake habit.

Favourite events and distances?

I'm getting into the habit of covering half marathon distance every day, either as one run or as a combination of walks, runs, and distance covered on the football pitch.

The race or event you’re most proud of?

In February I took part in See York Run York's Bloodaxe Challenge; an opportunity to complete as many laps as you can of York Sport Village's 1km track in two hours. I managed 23 laps, placing me 14th, and giving me my half marathon record of 1:49:12.

Any kit hints you’d like to share, favourite shoes etc? Or, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?

No-one ever tells you how much your feet will change when you lose a lot of weight. Finding the perfect fit has become a moving target and, right now, I'm still not convinced I'm in the right shoes. Over the couple of years I've been running, I've had the most joy with Brooks. Right now I'm giving Saucony a shot, but I'm not 100% happy. Any suggestions?

Have you run with other clubs as well as or before Haxby Runners?

This is my first running club, and it's great to have the opportunity to run two, sometimes three times a week with the additions of Thursday "Level Up" sessions and the twice monthly 10ks.

What’s good about being part of a club?

The regularity of sessions and the accountability - the expectation that you'll be there - are really helpful. Motivation can be hard to come by, especially on the dark winter nights, and having a Haxby Runners run on the calendar gives you that all-important nudge to get your shoes on.

Running ambitions?

I'm running the Yorkshire Marathon in October. Three years and 12 stone ago, I could never have anticipated that I'd ever run a marathon. If I can get it done, it will be a fitting end to a difficult personal journey. There's a lot at stake, and the nerves are starting to kick in...