Jonny Lundy, 43, decided to take on the marathon in honour of his daughter Zara, who received a lifesaving bone marrow transplant in 2017 after relapsing with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
Zara was just eight when we were told a stem cell transplant was her only hope, says Jonny.
Anthony Nolan found us a match an anonymous donor from Poland and flew stem cells across Europe to save her life. That act of kindness changed everything.
Coincidentally, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the original Nintendo Switch were released that same month. Jonny and Zara queued at midnight in Leeds to get the game, which became a huge source of comfort during long and difficult days in hospital.
Playing Zelda helped us escape the noise, stress, and fear of the hospital. It gave us something magical to focus on when reality was too heavy, says Jonny. Zara even nicknamed her donor Zelda.
We never knew the donor's real name and we never will. She chose to remain anonymous. Just a quiet act of generosity that saved our daughters life.
Since starting his training in November, Jonny has run many, many miles in preparation. He'll be taking on the 26.2-mile challenge in full Zelda costume sword, shield, elf ears and all to raise awareness of stem cell donation and thank the charity that made his daughters future possible.
"I'm running to honour Zelda, to thank Anthony Nolan, and to help other families get the same second chance we were given," he said.
Anthony Nolan has been saving lives through stem cells since 1974. The charity matches donors with patients in need of transplants and supports families through every step of their transplant journey.
Support Jonny's fundraising here:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/jonnylundy-zaras-dad-running-for-anthonynolan
Kirsty Mooney, Head of Supporter Led Fundraising at Anthony Nolan, said: "We’re thrilled that Jonny is running the London Marathon for Anthony Nolan. His incredible story, strength, and determination will help shine a light on the importance of stem cell donation.
"Thanks to supporters like Jonny, we can continue working toward a future where every patient who needs us can survive and thrive."