Thank you so much for taking the time to visit our fundraising page. We met 5 years ago through the Band of Sisters - a support group set up for the loved ones of the Heroes. Claire's husband Andy is a triple amputee who was injured in an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2009. He has overcome his injuries to become an author, motivational speaker, business owner and charity founder. Lorna's husband Paul was injured in a gunfight in Afghanistan in 2007, leaving him with nerve damage to his right leg, and other associated problems. He now works overseas with the UN, as an EOD/Counter IED/Search Instructor/Mentor. We are both so proud of our husbands and how they have coped with the cards they were dealt - and the fact they are still making differences to other peoples lives despite their own life-changing injuries.

Since we met all those years ago, we have become amazing friends and have always said we needed to do a challenge together for the charity that has helped both our families so much - we are over the moon that we now have this opportunity.

In 2015 Lorna was lucky enough to go on the South African Wilderness Trek for Help for Heroes on a funded Band of Sisters place, and now Claire has been picked for this trek on a Band of Sisters place.  Lorna had such a life-changing experience in South Africa that she has signed up for the China trek as a fundraiser to share the experience with Claire, and we have decided that together we will try and raise as much as we can.

We will be trekking around 80km over 6 days, in remote areas north of Beijing.  We will follow old sections of the wall as well as restored sections with lots of steps.  The landscapes are varied, from woodland and terraced farmland to hills and mountains - we have already been warned the trek is physically demanding and are training accordingly.  We know though that this challenge will be nothing to that which our husbands face on a daily basis - and this is what will keep us going through tough times on the trek.