I'm cycling, trekking a mountain and kayaking all in one day and I need your help please!!! 

The opportunity to secure a place on the Snowdon Triple Challenge landed in my work inbox a few months ago and I said 'no thank you very much but good luck guys'. And went on my merry way. I'd only been in the job a few months and my colleagues at this stage were none the wiser that the most active I usually am is sprinting to the Majestic Wine shop a few doors along from me just before they close. I certainly didny want to take up a space and then embarrass myself and be that one who arrives back in London via ambulance.

And then a few weeks back I realised just how inactive I am during a month long steps challenge (nothing to do with the boot scooting 90s band), where people were hitting 25,000 steps a day and I was averaging just over 2000 (mostly from moving between my wfh desk and the front door thanks to all the lockdown amazon purchases.)

This, coupled with a blistering awareness of hurtling another year closer to 40, and almost certainly fuelled by far too much coffee, I decided to email to ask to be put on the standby list for that totally unattainable Snowdon challenge thingy that everyone else was doing. I fully admit that I think I just wanted to make myself feel better about having originally turned it down... I never expected to almost instantly get an email back confirming someone had dropped out so I was now a participant. UMMM...

Panic!!!  

I last rode a bike about 2 years ago, and prior to that probably 20 years before then. I was the only one in primary school to FAIL their cycling proficiency test. (The trauma is still palpable). I haven't owned a bike since you used to get those flourscenct wheel spoke thingies free with a packet of Frosties.

I have kayaked twice in my life, once on holiday in Croatia for a leisurely paddle and again last summer that time we hired little boat-y things and did a pub crawl via the River Thames for a couple of hours.

I don't think I've ever walked more than 6 miles in 1 day and Ive only seen the top of a mountain from the luxurious view of a cable car.

BUT. Here we are. I needed a challenge, and something to work towards, I left it to fate and fate obviously has a sense of humour.

I know a lot of my friends and family will think that a 10.5 mile bike ride, a 9 mile trek on Snowdon and a 2.5 mile kayak is something they could achieve without too much effort. But if you know me, you know this is the last thing you'd expect me to tell you I'm doing.
But I am. I am determined. I am going to persevere. And I am going to do this. 

So what have I done so far in preparation a week since finding out I am doing this...? 

Quite a bit actually...

* My first purchase since the shops opened this week after lockdown 3, was a pair of hiking boots and some fancy appropriate socks (pink obviously).

* I have roped my ex-marine, ex-Olympic biathlon medal winning adventure sports mad friend into hosting a training camp for me where he lives in Scotland in June.

* I have signed up with my old personal trainer and had my first session today. (Currently cant move my arms)

* I have agreed to a 4 hour bike ride on my birthday during a holiday to Cornwall next week (I'm promised they'll be prosecco at the end.)

And now I'm here, asking you for your support to help me actually get this thing done.

We are raising money for the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and also raising awareness of disabilities in the work place. I know that the determination and will to succeed in this challenge that I need to adopt, will be bearly a teeny tiny fraction of what the amazing athletes who compete in the Paralympics have to adopt, but I hope we can all dig deep, (me with the perseverance to get myself into a semi fit state and then actually finish the challenge, and you into your pockets 😉) and support this charity that helps these guys achieve such greatness.

Disability in the workplace is also something that I feel needs a bigger light shining on it. It is important that opportunity and equality is for all regardless of disability. I feel particularly strongly about this when it comes to those disabilities that are perhaps not so obvious or are even part of an 'invisible' illnesses. 

As I've said, this challenge is all about strength, determination, perserverance and a willingness to succeed, all attributes that the BPA align themselves with and I hope that you can help me to align myself with too. Lord knows I'll need the help. 

And ultimately, let's be totally honest here... if you sponsor me, I can't back out can I?!

Thank you xx