I have a very cool job. I travel the length and breadth of the UK meeting members of Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and offering whatever support I can. A member of MRF is someone who has personal experience of the disease through firends, family or themselves. Often the people I work with have been left with profound after effects; amputations, brain damage, growth plate damage and epilepsy to name a few. Others have lost precious children, parents, brothers and sisters to the disease. Meningitis is feared by parents and doctors alike as a deadly disease which can kill in hours.

MRF members are incredible people - they are strong, giving and utterly committed to raising public awareness of the disease. I'm honoured to work with them and raising this money is my way of saying thanks for everything - for sharing the stories, for giving awareness talks, for raising funds that allow the charity to function, for campaigning to politicians, for winning paralympic gold, for inviting me to attend your events and for fighting for a future without meningitis. You rule.

I also have a very cool (and long-suffering) girlfriend. Stacey will be joining me for the first walk in the first week of April. We'll be walking 10-15 miles a day over some pretty challenging terrain including Mam Tor and the infamous Kinder Scout. The route that I've planned will take us from Sheffield to Manchester via Hope, Hathersage, Bakewell, Buxton, Edale and Glossop over the course of 7 days. 

If you need any more inspiration before you donate, look at the book of experience on the MRF website which is a compilation of stories from our members. It will give you an insight into the fear and trauma of this deadly disease.