Good luck to the APP London Marathon 2022 Team

APP are very lucky this year to have three runners taking on the challenge of the TCS London Marathon on Sunday 2nd October.

All of them have been training (and fundraising!) hard for months and are looking forward to the big day!

Debbie Sells is the Ward Manager at the Margaret Oates MBU in Nottingham, so APP is a cause close to her heart. She says:

I am in the privileged position to nurse women at a very frightening and horrendous time in their life, but to see them recover and enjoy family life with their children.

Read more about Debbie and add your support here: https://tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/deborah-sells

Vanessa Gutteridge is running for APP as she was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after the birth of her son eight years ago. She is keen to raise awareness of the illness, as well as vital funds.  She says: 'It took me years to recover and I still often think about the milestones of Archie that I missed, mostly in his first year or so and it hits me how poorly I was but im so grateful for the support I had when he was born and the years after.'

Find out more about Vanessa's story and support her here: https://tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/vanessa-guttridge

Sara Fernandes will be taking on a slightly different challenge - she's still completing the full 26.2 miles on the 2nd October, but instead of doing it on the streets of London, she'll be taking part in the virtual version around her home town of Anglesey.

Sara was hospitalised with PP when her baby was just 5 days old. She says '

Organisations such as APP (Action on Postpartum Psychosis) are like gold-dust. With it being such a rare illness with a quick onset, there's very little support out there.... Most people have no warning of what the illness looks like, what to do when symptoms present themselves or where to go for help. That's why APP are amazing! They have a range of services that support both the individuals suffering and their families. They help women feel understood, signpost, listen, advise, empower and ultimately save lives!'

You can read more about Sara's journey and offer your support here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sara-fernandes86

It's a massive commitment to train and complete a full marathon so a huge thank you to all our amazing runners, and to everyone who has supported them so far - every donation makes a difference, and we're sure knowing they have raised so much will keep our runners going all the way to the finish line!