Spot: Poppy’s Double Marathon - From Rock Bottom to Race Day for St Catherine's Hospice

Send us Fan Mail SPOT: a slightly different format to the Roundtable discussions where we Spotlight a Charity, Social Initiative or in this case an inspiration in the community.It's Easter Monday. A lively teenager Poppy May feels a sudden pain in her back. Within weeks, she can no longer move or feel anything from the waist down.Eight years later, that same teenager is lining up at the start of the Brighton Marathon in a racing wheelchair. Two weeks after that, she’ll do it all again at the London Marathon.This episode lives in that contrast.Not a highlight reel, not a tidy comeback story — but an honest, unfiltered look at what it actually takes to keep going when life changes overnight.Poppy shares her journey with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), what daily life really looks like when your upper body carries the full load, and how marathon training changes when every mile is powered by your arms and shoulders. But beyond the physical challenge, we get into what people don’t often hear about: years of serious mental health struggles, time spent in psychiatric care, and the long, difficult shift from simply surviving to actively choosing recovery.Poppys message is simple, but not easy: support matters — but the decision to get better has to come from within.We also talk about the power of community, finding gratitude in the small things, and how you can be part of her journey. Poppy shares why she’s raising money for St Catherine’s Hospice, how to support her fundraising, and how to follow her progress on race day (Brighton Marathon, bib number 32429).Please connect/follow Poppy May on Socials... If you care about mental health, disability sport, or the impact of community and hospice care, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends... Poppy is truly inspirational.Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.