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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  24 Hour 3 Peaks Challenge A few friends and I are about to set off on a mission for charity that most people would deem impossible, not just because it sounds near enough impossible but also because it will be a life changing experience for pretty much everyone in our team. We are about to start training for the 24 hour 3 peaks challenge which involves climbing up & down and travelling to & from the 3 highest peaks in England, Scotland & Wales. As it all has to be done in 24 hours we will have to climb part of one or two of the mountains in the dark which also makes the feat that little bit harder. To best way to explain how hard it will be is that it is an equivilent to walking 20 miles and climbing 10,000ft. Our challenge starts at the foot of Ben Nevis (4,409 ft) Scotland where we will be hoping for good weather conditions to get us off to a good start. We will be looking to get up & down Ben Nevis within about 5 hours max with a quick group photo at the top on the cairn then straight back on the decent down, with the possibility of walking the last hour in the dark. This is a feat on its own as would take a normal healthy fell walker about 6-8 hours in daylight, as we reach the bottom there will be no time to waste as it will be a quick stop for a call of nature and into our designated drivers vehicles. Once in the vehicles we'll have to try and get what little sleep we can, re-hydrate and re-energize ourselves for the next climb which is Scafell Pike in the Lake District about 5 hours away, as this drive will be through the night we are hoping on no traffic and no incidents so we can arrive there within our time limit and safely. As we reach Scafell Pike (3,209 ft) England’s highest peak it will probably still be dark but should still take no longer than 4 hours to climb. We will have to start our ascent in the dark and if we are on schedule we should pretty much be seeing the sun rise as we are on our way up, which should hopefully lift a few spirits in the team. Once we have reached the top and had our photo taken it is straight back down to the bottom and then is the same procedure as it was at the bottom of Ben Nevis. Next we will be off for our final climb Snowdon in Wales, it should take no longer than 5 hours to get there and will once again get any sleep, food & drink inside us and hope on no traffic and no incidents happening on route. As we reach Snowdon (3,560 ft) Wales highest peak, we will be meeting up with Denny & team who are going to tackle the last leg with us, and hopefully spur us on. We will be hoping conditions being good for the last leg of our 3 Peak Challenge. Obviously by now there will be a few of us exhausted but for the last one we will need to dig deep for some inner mental strength that will get us over the last hurdle (and what a hurdle it is), by no means is this challenge for the faint hearted and we will all be feeling this on the last decent. As we reach the bottom and hopefully within our time of 24 hours we can all put our feet up and enjoy what will probably be the most refreshing beer, glass of champagne or glass of wine everyone of us will have ever tasted and thoroughly deserved! Juvenile idiopathic arthritis Juvenile idiopathic arthritis came to our attention as the nephew (Denny Naylor-Menhinnit) of a member of our team (Luke Naylor) came down with the condition about a year ago. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (J.I.A) affects 1 in about 1000 children and is the most common form of persistent arthritis in children, the causes of J.I.A remains a mystery although experimental studies have shown that certain viruses that have mutated may be able to trigger J.I.A. Since Denny came down with the condition he has had a number of treatments and lost pretty much all of his sight in one of his eyes due to the complications that children can get if J.I.A is not detected at an early stage. He has since had a cataract operation which has improved his vision in his eye by about 70 %. Although his sight in his eye is not as good as it was before he came down with the condition it is a massive improvement on what his sight was like before the op. The symptoms of J.I.A are often non-specific initially and include lethargy, reduced level of activity and poor appetite. The first signs, particularly in young children may be limping but children also become quite ill presenting with flu-like symptoms that persist. The cardinal clinical feature is persistent swelling of the affected joints. Pain is also an important feature of J.I.A but young children may have difficulty in communicating this symptom, which happened in Denny’s case. Morning stiffness that improves later in the day is a common feature. Children with J.I.A vary in the degree to which they are affected by particular symptom. There can be also a number of complications with J.I.A as it is a chronic disorder which if neglected can lead to serious complications. Proper follow up with health professionals can significantly reduce the chance of complications. Eyes can be affected in some types of J.I.A. The inflamed eyes if left untreated can result in glaucoma, scars, cataracts and even blindness. Often the eye inflammation occurs without symptoms and is why it is important for all children to have regular checkups from an eye physician. Growth retardation is common in children with J.I.A, the medications used to treat J.I.A have potent side affects that limit growth. Children who delay treatment or do not participate in physical therapy can often develop joint deformities of hand and fingers, over time hand function is lost and almost impossible to recover. The treatment of J.I.A is undertaken by an experienced team of health professionals, including pediatric haematologists, nurse specialist, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Most children are treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and intra-articular corticosteroid injections. There have been very beneficial advances in drug treatment over the last 20 years. The major emphasis of treatment for J.I.A is to help the child regain normal level of physical and social activities. This is accomplished with the use of physical therapy, pain management strategies and social support. Many other people in the wider health and school communities also have valuable roles to play. The Team Luke Naylor (Sportbilly) Even though it's not a race will try and finish 1st. Paul Loates (Colin McRae) Designated driver, will need to gain time if possible. Tish Edwards (Tishy Lish) These quiet tranquil peaks wont know what has hit them. Stacey Ferguson (Stacey Cakes) Them little legs are powerful so should fly up these hills. Jamie Larvin (Jukebox) Loves a kip but no time for sleeping on this one. Olly Larvin (Oswald) Should be easy for him as what takes an average man five steps he takes one. Vincent Patrick (The Mighty Prawn) Through sheer stubbornness will make it to the end. Snowdon Team Denny Naylor-Menhinnit  Millie Naylor-Menhinnit Little Luke Naylor  Greg Naylor (Stonehenge) Built like a man mountain but now time to climb one. Melissa Hussle (BTS) Lets see if she is still smiling at the end. Jackie Naylor (Nan) Might have to get the train up. Justin Morgan (a.k.a bruno) You just watch him go in his lycra shorts. James Bim Quinn (Dara O Briain) Normally in a boat with 2 blokes but this time it's mountains.  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. Many thanks London & Devon 24 Hour 3 Peaks Challenge Team.

London & Devon 24 Hour 3 Peaks Challenge! (June 11th-12th)

London & Devon 24 Hour 3 Peaks Challenge! (June 11th-12th)

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