I know what it's like to be told as a child that you have a chronic medical condition. At 13 I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a chronic auto-immune condition that there is no cure for. We knew nothing about the condition, there was no family history, but it's something I've learnt to live with with the help and support of some incredible medical staff over the years.

The work of the medical teams at that age is so important, I've never forgotten the time I spent with my specialist teams, learning how to inject, how to check my blood glucose, how to count carbs and manage exercise, and most importantly, how to manage the daily mental challenge of the condition.

My diagnosis turned my world upside down at the beginning of my teenage years, and raising funds for Alder Hey is another step on my journey to showing my gratitude, and supporting other children who may be starting out on a similar journey through life.

Taking place on the Saturday 5th July, the Coniston Challenge is a triathlon with a twist! A team event consisting of three stages centred around Coniston in the beautiful Lake District. The team must stay together to complete each stage, no-one left behind, perfectly suited to our evenly matched team of athletes!

Stage 1: A 15km off-road bike ride with 332m of climbing from the transition zone in Coniston through Grizedale Forest.

Stage 2: A 12km hike with 776m of climbing over the Old Man of Coniston. Via Coppermine valley and Low Water before zigzagging up to the summit for some spectacular views (weather permitting!) before returning along Goats Hawse down to Goats Water and Walna Scar Road.

Stage 3: A 3km kayak/canoe around the northern section of Coniston Water in Canadian or sit-on kayaks.

Those of you who know me will know that sport is a significant part of my Type 1 management toolbox and you may think completing this challenge will be easy, despite having to work out how I'm going to manage my food intake and insulin dosing across 7+hrs of activity, but the unfortunate sting in the tail of this tale is that I am also terrified of heights! Despite having lived on the edge of the Lakes for 20+yrs, Skiddaw and a handful of local, low level fells are the sum total of my fell walking achievements! I have never attempted the Old Man and am torn even now whether to visit ahead of the event, or just accept my fate on the day... my team may literally have to carry me blindfolded over that lump!

There will, undoubtably be photographic and video evidence to follow!

If you can, please give generously and enjoy the thought that I can't refuse to hike over the Old Man with my team! You can even track the points at which I'm most going to suffer by following this tracking link on the day (Sat 5th July - mark it in your calendar!): https://live.opentracking.co.uk/conistonchallenge25

Thank you so much for your support!

You can also find the team page here... https://www.justgiving.com/team/process-pidiots