A cardiac nurse is returning home to St Albans to raise money for charities close to her heart at today’s (Sunday) half marathon.

Georgia Wilding, 21, who grew up in Batford, Harpenden, is fundraising for organ donation charity Live Life Then Give Life and cholesterol charity Heart UK.

Her cousin, Jamie Wilding, 24, from Wheathampstead, underwent two lifesaving liver transplants when he was just 10 years old.

Live Life Then Give Life raises awareness of the Organ Donor Register and actively encourages people to sign up.

Georgia stressed the important work the charity does: “Organ donations transformed Jamie’s life and mean that he is still with us today.

“No one should die through a lack of organ donors.”

Georgia is an advocate for the charity and is also returning to former secondary school, Sir John Lawes, to give a talk on organ donation.

The cholesterol charity Heart UK funds research into Familial Hypercholesterolaemia which Georgia, and her father Bryan, 43, and sister Jessica, 19, also suffer from.

The half marathon is the biggest athletics event of the year in the city, when streets are cleared for the annual run.

The race is in its 33rd year and will see over 6,000 runners raising money for charity in the 13 mile course.

Since 1982 the event has raised more than £750,000 for various charities.

The time to beat is 1:09.18 which was set by David Michinson in 2011.

Three runners, Duncan Burgoyne, Tony Crocker and Paula Wise, have taken place in every race in the event’s history – despite various obstacles including illness and pregnancy.

Don’t miss Thursday’s Herts Advertiser for a full report and picture special on the annual event, which is once again being supported by this newspaper as official media sponsor.