Almost two years on from running the London marathon,  2016 felt like the time for another challenge! This time I'm going slightly further afield to trek 100km over 7 days across the Sahara Desert as part of a group for the MS Society.

I'm not sure I really know what I've let myself in for yet. Being a city dweller who doesn't own a car I walk quite a lot and I'm still reasonably fit but 7 hour treks in the desert heat? I am also not a camper and don't think I've ever slept more than two nights in a row in tent. I'm trying not to think about the not showering thing.......

I'm fundraising for the MS Society as a way of giving something extra to a brilliant cause. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition which affects around 100,000 people in the UK. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 - 40 and there are roughly three times as many women as men with MS.

I have worked for the MS Society for just over three years. In my current role I work with people affected by MS on a day to day basis so I have seen the sometimes devastating impact that it can have on people's lives.

I feel particularly strongly about raising awareness of MS as a leading cause of disability in younger people, particularly at a time when there seems to be less support and more barriers for those who aren't able to work full time, and in a city where it can feel like only the strongest survive.

So I'm hoping my challenge can also contribute a little bit towards raising awareness and increasing the understanding of this complex condition and it's impact, as well as raising money to fund more support for people with MS.

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