I was diagnosed with MND in 2018, and thought I only had 2 years to live. Since then, I have dedicated huge amounts of time and effort to raising more than £1m for MND causes including My Name’5 Doddie Foundation through gruelling endurance challenges – including cycling 264 miles across the notorious ‘High Five’ route in the Scottish highlands in 2022, and riding from Edinburgh to Rome earlier this year.

Now I'm raising money, not for research directly but to help me achieve a dream - To become the first athlete with MND to compete at a Winter Olympics.

I am a former competitive snowboarder and have just cleared a major hurdle this month when the Paralmpic Comittee confirmed me as a para-althlete. Now, if I want to go to the Olmpics, I need to qualify through a series of tightly contested Parasport World Cup races.

If successful in qualifying, I will become the first Paralympian with MND ever to compete in snowsports – and the first Paralympic athlete with the disease from the UK in any sport. Nobody has competed in the Winter Olympics with MND.

In October, I made history by becoming the first person with MND ever to compete at international level parasport snowsports when won two silver medals in the banked slalom at the FIS Para Snowboard event in Dubai. My best times were just 0.3 seconds behind experienced para snowboarders – a clear sign I'm in the mixer to compete at the top level.

I followed that up with 12th place at the second event in Holland last week, competing against the previous Paralympic champions from Beijing 2022. I must earn enough points over the coming season to reach the FIS Para Snowboard World Cup series. From there, I need a top 15 to qualify for Milan.

“It’d be unbelievable to make it – I get goosebumps thinking about it. At this stage, it’s almost impossible to imagine myself there. The standard of competition is incredibly high, many of my fellow para athletes are full time snowboarders so I’m taking nothing for granted, but to be able to compete at this level is really encouraging. I need to get faster and tighten my technique for the next races, but feel I’m making progress every time I step in.”

I hope to compete in the Upper Limb category, against para athletes with a range of disabilities affecting their limbs, including amputees. My MND predominantly impacts my hands and arms at present, but will eventually move to other parts of my body. Despite all my fundraising challenges, I think qualifying for the Winter Paralympics is the toughest challenge yet. But I am determined to give it my alll, to raise further awareness of MND and help the cause and community.

“To qualify for the Winter Paralympics would be phenomenal – it feels a long way off despite the hurdles I’ve already cleared. I thought I was going to be dead within two years when I was diagnosed in 2018, and here I am gearing up for a winter of snowboard racing – I feel incredibly lucky. I am dreaming big and taking the opportunities in front of me, and hope I’m good enough to qualify. Above all I’m going to enjoy the journey and hope to raise awareness along the way. Perhaps, unusually for a para athletes, I’m thrilled that I’m eligible. At one point, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to compete as there wasn’t a category for MND, or neurological conditions. When they told me I’d at least be able to try was an incredible feeling.

“The nature of MND means I’m only going to get weaker and more adversely affected as the disease progresses. I have full range of movement in some areas, some muscles are totally gone, and others are in the grey zone. It puts me in a position where I know that even if I get there, I’ll be performing at a lower level versus some other athletes, and yet I’m more able bodied than others – but that doesn’t deter me. Everyone competing in parasport has had huge challenges to overcome by just being on their snowboards, it is a truly inspiring group of athletes to compete with.”

The next steps are six competitions across Europe, with rounds in Finland, Austria, and Germany. Another challenge will be funding the bid, as until I qualify for the World Cup series, it is entirely self funded. Please help me raise enough funds to enable me to travel & compete! Every penny gratefully recieved!!! Thank you