Scarlett is preparing to take on the Sheffield Half Marathon this Sunday, running in support of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) after losing both her grandma Brenda and her uncle Andrew to the disease.
Scarlett lost her grandma in 2005, at a time when awareness of motor neurone disease was far more limited. Looking back, she remembers how difficult it was for her family to navigate a condition that few people understood.
Nearly two decades later, her uncle Andrew was diagnosed in 2024. Andrew had spent years running marathons and half marathons for charity, and Scarlett felt that following in his footsteps would be a meaningful way to honour both him and her grandma.
She speaks of Andrew’s determination following his diagnosis, recalling how he “managed to get out on regular runs over a year after he was diagnosed,” something she describes as “really inspirational.”
Her wider family – including cousins, aunts and others – have all joined in fundraising for MNDA since Andrew’s diagnosis, making this a cause close to all of their hearts.
She described how ‘MNDA has done a great job at bringing awareness to MND, funding research into treatment and hopefully one day finding a cure.’
After Andrew sadly passed away in September 2025, Scarlett decided it was the right time to take on the Sheffield Half Marathon and fundraise for MND, even though she’d never run this distance before.
To support Scarlett in her fundraising efforts, visit her JustGiving page:
JustGiving Page