I am giving myself the ultimate challenge of hiking up nearly 20,000ft on the Worlds Highest Free Standing Single Mountain above sea level! The oxygen is less than 49% at the summit and with my lungs being not the best this will be mentally and physically challenging.  However.. I truly believe and know I will make the summit on the long 9 day trek and I am doing this solo with a company and I will have the best time knowing not only am I going to achieve something beyond crazy for myself but also to help raise vital funds for The Brain Tumour Charity.

Sadly at the age of just 11 I was told my mum had a brain tumour. It was incurable. To go from a young child to what seemed like an adult instantly was all I could do for my mum. My mum had it removed but the tumour kept coming back.. more surgery.. ok for a while then back again until the day I will never forget at just 16 sat in the doctors room with my mum and those words of… there’s nothing more we can do.. will always haunt me, my mum being told there’s only a few weeks left. I couldn’t cry as I had to be strong but inside my heart was beating so fast it felt like it had ripped in half. My mum had raised us all as a single parent and was the best ever. Working 3 jobs to provide for us all now meant that we all had to grow up and provide the support she needed. I’ll never forget the bullies that would point or laugh at my mums bold head or the weight she put on from her many tablets, eventually being wheelchair bound. I got strong pushing her around, I was so proud to show my mum off, she still is the most beautiful person in the world to me and she knows looking down how much I think about her everyday and that I love her so much. 

At just 39 years old my mum sadly lost her battle, 8 months before what would have been her 40th birthday that she was so desperate to get to. I was just 16 years old doing my GCSE’s. My mums biggest fear was leaving us at such young ages with no one to watch over us but we’ve all made it and I know she would be so proud of me, Vicky, James and Jacob. I promised my mum I would do my best for Jacob who was just 4 years old when she passed and she will be happy 😊 

Instead of rebelling and hating life, thinking things were so unfair and cruel (which they were multiple times for our family) I joined the Royal Navy and I truly believe it helped shape me into the person I am today. It gave me the family I needed, the strength and support and the self belief that no matter how tough things ever were.. you would always get through it and I truly believe that to this day. So this is why I have every faith I will get to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and my mum will guide me as did Danny (my youngest brother) when I did Ben Nevis. My angels are always with me ❤️

For all the people who have lost a loved one, a family member, a friend or who are going through this tough time now.. for those with a brain tumour, keep fighting!!! this is for you all 💪

To my beautiful mum Debra, I’ll see you at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro October 2023.. I love you ❤️ 

 The Brain Tumour Charity is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, we're moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour.We're set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And we're doing it right now. Because we understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour a cure really can't wait.