I'm running 71km to celebrate my baby, Riley.

Riley was born at just 28 weeks and 2 days, weighing only 950 grams. She was a twin, but heartbreakingly, we lost her beautiful sister, Ava. At a time when we were trying to process an unimaginable loss, our tiny Riley was beginning the fight of her life. Those early days were filled with fear, uncertainty and hope. At only 950 grams, she was so incredibly tiny and fragile. Every day mattered. Every gram gained, every little step forward and every milestone felt huge. The doctors, nurses and staff at Canberra Hospital were incredible. The care they gave Riley was genuinely lifesaving. They cared for her when she was at her most vulnerable and gave our little girl the chance to fight, grow stronger and eventually come home. And fight she did. Today, Riley is 3½ years old, and that fighting spirit has never left her. She is resilient, determined, fiercely independent and incredibly cheeky. She has a huge personality, makes us laugh every day and certainly knows exactly what she wants! Looking at this funny, adventurous and strong little girl now, it is sometimes hard to believe she was once a tiny 950-gram baby fighting her way through those first weeks of life. Her resilience amazes me. She has been a little fighter from the very beginning, and watching her grow into the happy, cheeky little girl she is today makes me incredibly proud. I’m taking part in the Premmie Run Challenge for Riley, for her beautiful twin sister Ava, and for every premature baby and family who knows the fear, uncertainty and hope that comes with having a baby born too soon. For me, every kilometre is also a way of saying thank you to the incredible people who cared for Riley and helped save her life. I run for Riley, the little 950-gram fighter who showed us just how strong someone so tiny could be. I run in memory of Ava, who will always be part of our family and Riley’s story. And I run for all the little fighters who begin life far too soon.