We recently caught up with Alexandra who is running the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

“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 has garnered support from colleagues, friends and family as she takes on the mean feat of 13.1 miles. Training is ongoing and the support is flying – Having personal experiences with autism, she is determined to make a difference and chose Autism Anglia as the charity she wanted to help.

“2023 was very tough. Everything came to a head and hit a low point,” says Alexandra. But there came a moment where she just felt like she had to do something, so at the end of the year she 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 finds asking for money uncomfortable, but the kindness of people has been amazing to see. People are coming and telling her their stories and it opens conversations she would never usually have. This is what has really been motivating and she knows she can’t let people down because, at the very least, Alexandra’s commitment has shown others that they’re not alone.

“It’s been a smooth journey so far, and a big thank you to Anna Rogers, who as community fundraising and engagement manager, has 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’ve been obsessed with checking my JustGiving page for updates!”

Sharing your stories and getting your circles involved does much more than you think. We aim to live in a world where autistic people are truly accepted within society, so when you fundraise for Autism Anglia, you might just end up inadvertently teaching someone about autism and acceptance. The dots might connect, and they could take it easier on someone they give a hard time to. 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 are always helping the bigger picture.

Thank you and good luck Alexandra

Donate to Alexandra’s JustGiving and find out more about our running events below

JustGiving

Running events