Thanks for taking the time to visit the 10 Peaks JustGiving page.

Many people have said why does the event need to be so hard, including some of the people who have already agreed to participate! Lots of people, including myself, have no idea if they will finish. Afterall, how could you know? Even those who have hiked 70km before probably didn't climb three quarters of the way up Mount Everest and back doing it! And then there's the unpredictable weather in the Lake District just to make it more interesting. ...my answer would be it is meant to be a challenge!

It's about pushing yourself, discovering the limits and then picking yourself up and pushing on - just as those fighting cancer have to do with each dose of chemo or each radiotherapy session. The 10 Peaks is for all those fighting everyday, more than for those of us who will fight for a day.

My chosen charities for the 2010 10 Peaks Challenge are Macmillan Cancer Support and The Knight Foundation. Both of which I feel I need to give something back and say thank you for all the work they are doing. Macmillan do a fantastic job supporting people with cancer and their families, providing practical, medical and emotional support. The Knight Foundation, based in Frimley Park hospital, is a 5 bedded ward for adults with Cystic Fibrosis. The ward exists because of charitable donations and I feel that their extraordinary level of care and professionalism deserves to be recognised.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.