London Marathon Fundraiser

In 2023 I ran the London Marathon in memory of my dad, Anthony.

Supporting families facing a cancer diagnosis was always dad's idea. Dad believed deeply in helping people through their hardest moments and often spoke about wanting to give back to families going through treatment and uncertainty. After losing dad, continuing that vision felt like the most meaningful way to honour dad's legacy.

I was inspired to take on the marathon after watching Helen Bafunno complete it in 2022. Seeing Helen cross the finish line planted a seed in my mind and in 2023, I decided to take on the challenge myself.

Helen truly meant the world to me throughout this journey. Helen's constant encouragement, check-ins and reassurance gave me the confidence to believe that this was something I could do. From training to race day, Helen's support powered me and gave me that extra motivation when I needed it most.

I went into the experience fairly naively not fully realising the level of commitment it would require. Training quickly became a major part of my life with four months of preparation, five to six days a week of running and countless hours of recovery.

There were moments when it felt overwhelming. But whenever I struggled, I reminded myself that as hard as this was, Dad had faced something far harder and he still showed up every day with strength, kindness and a smile on his face. That became my motivation. One foot in front of the other. Focused on the goal.

More than anything, it became something I shared with my family and friends. Their patience, belief and encouragement carried me through every early morning run and tired evening.

On race day, I arrived in London feeling unwell and true to form, it poured with rain. Classic London. It was cold, wet and exhausting. But none of that was going to stop me from crossing that finish line.

And I did.

Through the generosity of our community, we raised over $80,000.

These funds allowed two families facing a colon cancer diagnosis to enter treatment with less financial stress and greater peace of mind. For one family, this support meant they were able to commit to a vital trial drug as part of their treatment, something that may not have been possible otherwise.

While every family’s journey is different, knowing that our efforts helped ease even a small part of their burden remains incredibly meaningful.

As much as I never quite experienced the “runner’s high” everyone talks about, completing the marathon and seeing the real impact it had remains one of the greatest highlights of my life.

It wasn’t just my accomplishment, it was ours.

I am endlessly grateful to every person who supported, donated, encouraged and believed in me along the way. Your generosity turned a personal challenge into life-changing support for others.

This experience showed me what is possible when people come together with compassion and purpose. It laid the foundation for Hammer & Heart and continues to guide everything we do.

Turning love into action.
Honouring Dad’s legacy.
And making a real difference, one family at a time.

Love always,

Em Holdsworth