In January 2020 I will be taking part in the MS Society’s Arctic Trek. Starting out in Rovaniemi (Finland) I will look forward to 3 days trekking into the Arctic wilderness – Day One 28km, Day Two 20km, Day Three 18km – Finishing at the Arctic Snow Hotel.

Going to one of the coldest places on Earth…in Winter…doesn’t seem like my best idea – so why am I doing it?

I am doing this to raise money for the MS Society Scotland who provide valuable support for those living with this unpredictable disease. A brief description of MS would be that your body’s immune system attacks the coating of your nerves. This damage disrupts messages travelling along nerve fibres – they can slow down, become distorted, or not get through at all.

As MS affects your central nervous system the specific symptoms that appear depend upon which part of this system is affected and the job of the damaged nerve. It is a bit like the wiring of your body being faulty. A much fuller and accurate description of MS can be found at https://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-is-ms/information-aboutms/about-ms.

I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2015 which means I will experience attacks of the disease followed by periods of partial or full recovery. Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but Disease Modifying Therapies (DMT's) and specialists can help you to manage the condition and its symptoms.

Over the last 2 years I have been lucky enough to be on a clinical trial for a new drug which has given me some much needed stability. Others are not so lucky, which is why the work of the MS Society is so important in funding research into new treatments.

I am still continuing to challenge this pointless illness –Tough Mudder was my challenge in 2016, abseiling off the Forth Rail Bridge (in a bright orange morphsuit) was my challenge in 2017. The Arctic Trek is shaping up to be my biggest challenge both physically and financially. I still struggle to walk long distances and this is my biggest fundraising target!

Let me worry about the walking, but any support you are able to give will go a long way in helping me achieve my fundraising goal. Hopefully a cure will be found in my lifetime!

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.