Having turned 40 this year, I set about finding myself a challenge to mark this milestone and to give something back to society by raising money for charity. I've had type 1 diabetes for more than 30 years, I lost a lot of my sight 15 years ago and am technically registered blind (though I still have quite a bit of usable sight in one eye), in addition to numerous minor health issues. I've always had a love of mountains, and climbing Kilimanjaro has been a lifelong ambition. My mother  climbed both Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya in the 1960s without anything like the equipment we have these days. But it wasn't until last year while trekking in Peru that I really began to believe it was something I could realistically achieve. And it wasn't going to happen unless I made it happen. However, the real driver for this challenge is in memory of my father, a type 1 diabetic for over 50 years, who lost both his legs last year, and died in June this year, after much suffering from a myriad of diabetes complications. That really brought home to me how fragile we are, and the fact that if I leave it too long, it might be too late for me to fulfil all my ambitions. So this trip is not only for JDRF, who do fantastic research into making lives better for people with type 1 diabetes as well as striving for that elusive cure, but also for both my parents who have been a wonderful source of inspiration and have always encouraged me to fulfil my sense of adventure despite the challenges imposed by my health. I'd be very grateful for any donation to JDRF for this trip, no matter how small.

You can read more about my motivation and follow my progress both before and during the trek on my blog: http://ifyoucanwalkyoucanclimbkili.blogspot.co.uk/