Together with two friends I am planning to kayak around Ireland during April and May 2017, travelling anti-clockwise - we think that if we are successful we will be the first people to complete it in the wrong direction!

This is the 4th year in a row that I've used kayaking to raise funds for Alzheimer's Research UK. My mum has dementia. She is paralyzed from the neck down and is always confused and frightened. She can barely speak. I used to think someone that was paralyzed would be floppy with no strength. My mum's muscles are in constant spasm. Her shoulder has become permanently dislocated. She's in constant pain. It's breaks my heart to see her; I think she still knows who I am but I can never be sure.

Many of you will have grandparents, parents or aunts and uncles with dementia. If we are lucky enough to live to our 80s, 1 in 6 of us will develop dementia. Dementia is the leading cause of death for women in the UK. But it's the path to death and the impact on families and loved ones that is truly devastating. There are currently no treatments that stop dementia and no cures. Yet dementia research is hugely underfunded: for every person living with dementia just £90 is spent on research each year. I am raising money to fund research that will help save other families from the heartbreak of dementia.

Ireland is the second largest island of the British Isles, the third largest in Europe, and the twentieth largest on Earth. What are we doing!?! 

Overall, it's around 1500 km of paddling. Furthermore, to kayak around Ireland without it being much, much further than that, you need to commit to open crossings, the longest being Donegal Bay at 50 plus km.

For me the journey is pretty daunting, although it is something I've been planning for over a year... Furthermore, I'm the only woman on the team and the oldest team member. Eeek! I know I'll be working hard! If you can sponsor me that's be great!
#Thisgirlcan