Following the sudden death of my mum Christine Peukert on 1 November 2011 from a heart attack, I decided I wanted to do something positive and at the same time challenge myself and get a bit healthier.

I decided to run The Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday 26 May 2013 in memory of my mum. I had never done a marathon before so a lot of training was needed but I was determined to complete it regardless of how long it would take.   I chose to support a smaller “heart” related charity, hence why I chose CRY.

Specifically, I chose to raise funds for the Joanne F Fotheringham Memorial Fund within CRY. Joanne, a friend and fellow pupil at Ullapool High School in the north of Scotland, passed away suddenly in April 1997 aged just 24 from a hidden heart defect. She was a Gaelic Medium Primary School Teacher on the Isle of Lewis at the time of her death.

Since then, her parents, Alex and Fraser, have worked tirelessly raising funds to enable local screening of young adults in an attempt to detect anyone with a hidden heart defect. The money raised from Joanne’s fund has enabled a third screening of young adults to take place in Ullapool in May 2013.

I completed the marathon in 4 hours 19 minutes and 52 seconds and I was so delighted and so happy to have raised money and awareness for CRY.

I raised £1835 on my Virgin Money Giving page, and with offline donations and Gift Aid the total should be in the region of £2200.

Julian Peukert