Hi everyone!

On the first of July I will be taking part, along with my husband, Aunt and Uncle, in the National 3 Peaks challenge. This is climbing Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in Scotland), Scaffel Pike (the highest mountain in England) and Mount Snowdown (the highest mountain in Wales) all within a 24 hour period. This will include over 23 miles of hiking and over 10,000ft elevation!

I have decided to do this challenge to raise money for NASS (National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society), a charity close to my heart as I myself was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) just over two years ago.

AS is an autoimmune disease which causes inflammation around the spine. For years before my diagnosis I suffered a great deal of pain, fatigue, lack of sleep and stiffness. The disease very painful and very difficult to diagnose, I was eventually told I had the disease with use of an MRI scan. The average time it take for a person to be diagnosed with the disease is 8 years after the onset of symptoms! Something I would really like to be lowered significantly.

If left untreated, AS it can cause fusion of the vertebrae, as well as a lot of other health and mobility problems. Luckily, however, AS, once diagnosed, is easy to treat. I take medication which lowers the inflammation in my body. Most importantly, however, I have vastly improved my overall health and regularly exercise. Exercise helps to keep my body strong, mobile and will ultimately stop any fusion of my spine. Without treatment for AS, there would be no way I would be able to climb this challenge and I would like to show that even with this condition you can still achieve such an accomplishment. I would also like to raise awareness of this disease so people know what symptoms to look out for and seek help, so they can be treated early for their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

I would therefore be eternally grateful if you could make a donation to this charity. Even small donations will contribute to the brilliant cause which can help so many people. I appreciate the cost of living crisis may make a donation impossible, therefore a free share of this link on your social media will be amazing! Thank you.