Both my mam and auntie have Graves' disease, which causes hyperthyroidism. I don't feel like there is enough awareness around these illnesses, so I have decided to dedicate my first half-marathon to try and raise some. Doing this will also hopefully progress some of the incredibly important research that is being carried out to help stop/ease the symptoms and difficulty of living with Graves' and hyperthyroidism.

My mam is one of the most important people in my life and she is my best friend. She suffers on a regular basis, with day-to-day tasks when her Graves' flares up. It causes shakiness, exhaustion, an enlarged thyroid gland, aching muscles, along with mood swings. I would do anything to try and help more research into the disease and see if there is any possible cure to ease the pain she goes through when there are flare ups.

I am going to complete this half-marathon to raise awareness for this incredibly important cause, so please help me along the way. Any donation is very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

Bethany Finlayson