Alexandra North – London Landmarks Half Marathon 2024

Alexandra recently chose to take on the London Landmarks Half Marathon for Autism Anglia

“I don’t consider myself a runner at all! I dislike running with a passion. But I thought, what challenge can I do to push myself out of my comfort zone for a few weeks in order to raise money and awareness? After all, a bit of discomfort is nothing compared to the daily challenges people living with autism go through every day, so I thought it’s the least I can do.”

Alexandra garnered support from colleagues, friends and family as she took on the mean feat of running 13.1 miles through the capital city. Having personal experience with autism, she was determined to make a difference and chose Autism Anglia as the charity she wanted to help.

“I had a really tough year -everything came to a head and I hit a low point,” says Alexandra. “but there came a moment where I just felt like I had to do something, so at the end of the year I decided to take action and sign up for a half marathon!”

“It feels more real to support a smaller charity, hopefully giving at least one person the help that we wish we’d have had along the way.”

Alexandra says she found asking for money uncomfortable, but the kindness of people has been amazing to see. People were coming and telling her their stories and it opened conversations she would never usually have. This is what she found motivating and she knew she couldn’t let people down because, at the very least, Alexandra’s commitment has shown others that they’re not alone.

“It was a smooth journey, and a big thank you to Anna Rogers, who as community fundraising and engagement manager, guided me through the process seamlessly. I’ve never done it before and I didn’t really know what I was doing, but Anna is a safe pair of hands. I can’t deny, I was obsessed with checking my JustGiving page for updates!”

Sharing your story and getting your circles involved can have a much wider impact. We aim to live in a world where autistic people are truly accepted within society, so when you fundraise for Autism Anglia, you might inadvertently end up teaching someone about autism and acceptance. The dots might connect, and they might start to think about how they approach certain situations, or they could realise that their situation has parallels to someone else’s and feel a sense of relief.

Whatever you do, however much you raise, you really are helping to enhance the lives of autistic people.