Ala Lysik

Why I’m fundraising...

I’m running the Royal Parks Half Marathon 2025 in loving memory of my grandma – the most generous, compassionate, and extraordinary woman I’ve ever known. 

Ovarian cancer is incredibly difficult to diagnose early. For too long, women’s health has been underfunded and overlooked in research, leaving conditions like this under-recognised and under-treated. That needs to change.

I’m proud to be supporting Target Ovarian Cancer, the UK’s leading ovarian cancer charity. They fund ground-breaking research, drive awareness of symptoms, fight for earlier diagnosis, push for better treatments, and provide crucial support to everyone affected by the disease.

Every donation, no matter the size, helps to fund vital work – and brings us one step closer to a world where no one loses someone they love too soon to ovarian cancer.

Now, full disclosure: I am absolutely not a runner. I’m a Londoner in my late 20s, currently deep in my quarter-life crisis, and have somehow decided that running 13.1 miles is the answer. If I manage to finish the race without tripping over a squirrel, a small child, or my own shoelaces, I’ll consider that a personal triumph. But hey – if it means I get to carb load guilt-free and demolish an entire pizza afterwards, I’m all in. If you want to join me for any of those parts (or for the running — but really, why would you?), I’d be more than happy to indulge together.

I’ll keep you updated on the progress… and if you don’t hear from me for three weeks, you can safely assume I tried a “short jog” and am now lying face-down in a bush somewhere along the Thames.