The London marathon isn’t the easiest event to train for with a toddler on your hands, but one Earlsfield mum has the finish line firmly in her sights.

Rebecca (Bex) Della Rosa, 40, is running to raise money and awareness for Mind, the UK’s largest mental health charity.

She said: “I’m running in memory of my late brother, Mike, who died in 2009. He was 35 and suffered from depression for many years.

“He left a note explaining how bad things had got – things me, my mum and dad and my other brother, Joe, didn’t realise. It seems that like many men battling severe depression, he tried for a long time to fight it on his own.

Rebecca says: “Running the marathon a big decision. My daughter, Olivia Mikey Whitfield, (named after my brother) is 19 months, and my partner, Matt, worried that it was too much to take on.

“But doing something positive – even though fitting in the training has been hard – has been a great focus for me.

“It’s easy to get trapped in thoughts of ‘what if’ and ‘if only’, which achieve nothing. But running means I can honour my brother and raise money to help Mind continue the great work they do.

“I hope it also helps me to be a positve role model for my daughter. She’s on the brink of talking and I got the biggest boost when she said: mumma run’ as I headed off for my last training run.

The London Marathon takes place on Sunday 22nd April. You can still sponsor Bex by visiting her virgin giving web page at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BexAndOliviaSponsors NOTE: I can get a photo of my brother - just need to get it scanned. Can also Based on information supplied by Rebecca Della Rosa.