Olivia Kempsey

I'm running the 2012 Brighton marathon to raise money for Crohn's and Colitis UK, a charity that improves the lives of people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). After being diagnosed with the condition 4 years ago, my health gradually deteriorated until I was hospitalised earlier this year and major emergency surgery was performed to remove my large intestine. This was a big shock and although there have been changes to my lifestyle, I'm determined to make a full recovery, to push myself and to show that nothing should hold you back from achieving what you want to achieve. 250,000 people in the UK are affected by these conditions and the impact on work, education, family and social life can be devastating. So I hope to raise to money: http://www.justgiving.com/Olivia-Kempsey - and am hugely excited to be completing this challenge in the year of the Olympics!