I have decided to take the crazy step of 'pushing' the London Marathon in my everyday wheelchair. 26.2 miles of it! It'll mean some serious training to get to that point in April, particularly as I haven't gone further than 10k before! But I'm absolutely determined and, in my opinion, there are not many better causes than Back Up. 

As many of you will know Back Up came to my rescue following my spinal cord injury in 2011. Initially I met them while I was at Stoke Mandeville hospital, where they  run wheelchair skills and education sessions, then when speaking to one of the Outreach team on the phone, who were enormously helpful to me in a very dark time while I was nearing the end of my rehab and entering back into the 'real world.'

A year after my injury I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go on their ski course to Winter Park, Colorado to learn how to ski in a sit ski. This was completely transformative for me, I met some amazing people and it showed me the possibilities that my life, now that I was a wheelchair user, could have. It showed me that I could still travel the world and that I could ski independently, sometimes at 'breakneck' speeds (so to speak!), while leaving my wheelchair behind. Adaptive skiing has been a massive part of my life for the last four years while I've been training and competing with the British Disabled Ski Team, and I owe a great deal to Back Up for introducing me to the sport. 

Since then I've been very involved with Back Up, volunteering for them, and working as a member of staff. In this way I'm able to see the amazing work that Back Up does, and how many people's lives are changed every day by the work of the charity, staff and the amazing volunteers. It really is inspiring to behold.

Despite this, people continue to sustain spinal cord injuries through traumatic accidents, diseases and medical negligence everyday. It's estimated that 1000 people will sustain one in 2019. 

Even though I now am loving life and often say I couldn't be happier, the last seven years have been a real rollercoaster, and I owe so much of my happiness now to Back Up.

So think of me 'pounding' (or should I say, pushing) those pavements in training for the London Marathon on 28th April 2019 and let's please raise a load of money to help more people overcome the challenges that spinal cord injury can present for the amazing charity, Back Up.