Two and a half years ago at the age of 15 I was diagnosed with a chronic neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after I was knocked off my bike by a lorry. The condition left me on crutches unable to put any weight through my left leg. I was in constant agony and every day was a fight to get out of bed and carry on. After months on the crutches I developed a compressed nerve in my left elbow due to the pressure from the crutch, leaving me on a zimmer frame. This forced me to put weight through my leg and push harder at physio. So that’s what I did, I pushed through agonising pain until I was down to one crutch. The swelling in my foot went down leaving me slowly but surely returning to normality. After a year, with the help of a huge number of tablets, and a huge amount of willpower, I put the crutch down. I taught myself to walk again and got my life as close to normal as it could be. Two and a half years down the line and although I still live in constant pain, I am stronger than ever. I pursued my dream career of acting and got into a London based drama school, and I am still fighting. The problem with this disability is its invisibility. One of the biggest things I had to deal with was people saying I was “attention seeking”, because they couldn’t understand it. Luckily, I overcame this, but not everyone does. So, on the 9th June I am doing the Great North Swim, I am swimming a mile in open water in the hope that my story will be heard, and not only that, but to prove to everyone who lives with any chronic pain, that you are not alone, and to never give up because it is possible to beat this, with the right hope and the right support you can do this. Just like I did. All the donations will be given to a charity called Away With Pain, a support group in the UK that works towards supporting people with chronic pain, finding a cure and providing help. Any contribution you make would be greatly appreciated.