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LATER this month, I plan to walk the full way up the beautiful Welsh mountain of Snowdon. What makes this even more of a challenge for me is that just five months ago, I crashed my bike, breaking eight bones in my back and one in my neck.

For a while, I feared I would never walk again. I spent six weeks in the National Spinal Injury Unit in Glasgow and underwent major reconstructive surgery. Until a few weeks ago, I could only walk a few steps with the aid of a restrictive brace. I have had to learn to walk all over again.

I am not special. I an not unique. According to the spinal injuries charity ASPIRE, every eight hours, someone in the UK is paralysed by a spinal cord injury. 

To lie on your back in a hospital bed, unable to move, unable to feed yourself, unable to go the toilet, in fact, puts life into perspective. I know I have been extremely lucky. I now want to make sure I live life to the full.

In walking up Snowdon on October 29th with friends, I will be having fun (hopefully) and enjoying a freedom I never thought I would have. It’s about four miles, all uphill and I expect there will be plenty of stops along the way. With a bit of luck, I might even get a decent view from the top. But there is a more serious aim - I would like to raise money for ASPIRE to support the fantastic work they do.

Since that bike ride from Lands End to John O’Groats took me down a quite unexpected road, I have met remarkable spinal injury victims, their family and friends. They are an inspiration, but so much would not be possible without the work of ASPIRE. So I would really appreciate it if you could give just a little to support their work.

Remember, according to ASPIRE: “Every eight hours, someone in the UK is paralysed by a spinal cord injury. It can happen to anyone at any time. Without warning, someone's life changes completely. Aspire exists to provide essential support, equipment and advice to people with spinal cord injuries in the UK and Ireland.”