A Gosport dancer is set to run the London Marathon for the first time.

Lydia Mackett will take on the 26.2-mile challenge on Sunday in aid of the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS).

The professional dancer only began running in June 2024 when she signed up for the marathon and started training whilst working aboard a cruise ship.

She had never attempted a 5k or half marathon before, but wants to help a cause close to her heart that helped her to pursue her passion for dance in her youth.

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She said: “I haven’t done a marathon before, this is my first time.

“Before doing the marathon training, I never attempted a half marathon either or even 5k.

“When I signed up to do the London Marathon, I was actually working as a professional production dancer on board P&O Arcadia (cruise ship) at the time.

“So I actually started my training using the ship’s treadmills in the gym.”

The 24-year-old began training outdoors in November 2024 when she returned home from the cruise ship, and she is now taking land-based gigs.

Lydia chose to support the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) after the help the charity gave her in building her confidence as a youth.

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She added: “I have chosen the NDCS as my charity because they helped me massively when I was growing up.

“I went to quite a few camp holidays, meeting other kids who also had hearing loss and doing activities together like rock climbing, learning British sign language, etcetera.

“I also won a competition for NDCS Raising the Bar in 2015, where I got to meet two other deaf professional dancers, which was brilliant as I was and still am a dancer.

“It made me realise that perhaps there are more deaf performers out there, and it inspired me to keep going.

“So I wanted to give back to the charity and say thank you for giving me the social skills to build up my confidence, making new friends and developing my passion for dance.”

To support Lydia, visit the 2025 TCS London Marathon enthuse website and search for Lydia Mackett to find her page.