Sunday was a beautiful day in Hampshire and a perfect day for charity campaigning. I attended the Brackenwood Festival 5K race to encourage race goers and spectators to support the Cystic Fibrosis Trust “Breathe With Me Strawfie” Challenge.

The Brackenwood 5k is a really unusual race in that the route involves a dash around the Festival Place shopping centre in Basingstoke, as well as a local park. Luckily Sunday opening hours mean no shopaholics were injured during the race ;)

I am really passionate about working with the CF Trust and I want as many people as possible to get taking Strawfies (straw breathing selfies) as it is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Week this week!!!!!

Cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening genetic condition – only half live to celebrate their 40th birthday. It causes the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, to become clogged with thick sticky mucus, resulting in chronic infections and inflammation of the lungs.  Around 10,000 people are affected in the UK.

I was influenced to take part in the charity campaign after my blog on my journey to Miss England was spotted by one of the Trust’s volunteers. It has since been picked up by Australian rugby union player Nathan Charles, who has been encouraging people down under to do a ‘strawfie.’

Miss Basingstoke Nicola Ascroft, a semifinalist in the Miss England semifinals and runner up to the 2015 Miss Hampshire title, also joined me encourage people to take a ‘Strawfie’ in her home town, and it turned out she knew one of the volunteer physio’s helping out!

It was a wonderful event and so many people came together to support the CF campaign. We even had a dog called Pepe get involved! The winners of the 5k all took part of well despite being seriously out of puff. The great thing about doing a ‘Strawfie’ after a run is that it really brings home how sufferers feel every day with such reduced lung capacity.

Get involved:

The action of breathing through a straw, while pinching your nose, emulates the reduced lung function experienced by people living with cystic fibrosis.

Take a selfie of yourself breathing through a straw (a Strawfie) and donate by texting BWCF64 £ (amount) to 70070 or visit visit the just giving page.

Then post your selfie and donation online (Facebook/Twitter/websites/blogs) with a comment about how it made you feel. Remember to nominate friends to try the Strawfie Challenge as well! Visit the Strawfie Breathewithme page as well

Both Run Britain and Run England are also supporting the campaign and also Springfree Trampolines UK Distributor – The link is that people with CF have to exercise regularly (running and bouncing are excellent) as physiotherapy.