Anything is possible.

Or at least that’s what I believe now after travelling to Kiwoko Hospital as an ambassador in 2012. That trip literally changed my life. The selflessness of the people I met was humbling and inspired me to commit to something greater than my own comfort and career achievement. On that visit I ran the Kiwoko Chase, which was my first ever race. Though I barely made it to the finish line, an idea came to me. I could raise even more money for Adara and do even more if I ran a year of marathons.

When I was in Kiwoko I heard the phrase “This is Africa” used a lot when things didn’t quite go according to plan. It was interesting to watch how Ugandans shrugged their shoulders and calmly improvised. As it turned out, I would think about the phrase and the Ugandan people’s graceful coping abilities many times in the months to come.

12 marathons in 12 months seemed like a great fundraising campaign. But as a newbie runner I had to come to terms with the fact that I’m not invincible. Days before I was originally due to begin my challenge I had to pull out due to a knee injury and spent months in physio. And then later after it had finally got underway with 8 marathons down and 4 to go, I was diagnosed with a stress fracture and had to adapt my training plan to exclude running!

There were many such physical challenges as well as many logistical and personal challenges during the year of marathons. Comparing my nature against those living and working at Kiwoko, I often fell short. But the yearlong challenge was a catalyst for self-improvement, resulting in a profound journey of personal growth. I faced many of my limitations, learning to be more patient, more disciplined, more accepting of the unexpected, more confident in my physical abilities but also my personal ability to raise funds for a worthy cause. I came to see that everyday people are the ones who can and should make a difference.

Starting on the 20 June 2016 I’m committing to another ridiculously grueling challenge to raise money for Adara, this time cycling 1,126km all the way down the length of Sri Lanka in 9 days. A greater distance than riding from Zurich back to London!

My challenge starts on the northern plains but there’s going to be plenty of steep climbs to tackle as I work my way south through the foothills of the mountainous central highlands rainforest.

Long days in the saddle in the tropical heat will make this the hardest endurance event I’ve ever attempted as I ascend a total of 8,358m; an equivalent height to Mount Everest.

The money I raise will go toward projects at Kiwoko Hospital that improve health and education for women, children and communities in need. I’d appreciate any sponsorship you can offer, as when the going gets tough (and it will!) it will keep me focused on why I’m doing this. So if you can spare anything it would be greatly appreciated.