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I’ve set myself what currently feels like a pretty overwhelming challenge: completing a 5-day trek along the Jurassic Coast, covering around 100km. I’ll be taking this on in June, all to raise money for the amazing charity CoppaFeel!

CoppaFeel! is a breast cancer awareness charity that encourages people to check their chests, educates on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, and empowers people to contact their GP if they notice anything unusual.

There are a few reasons I’ve decided to take on this challenge, and I wanted to share a bit of my story from the last few years. (If you’d rather skip the emotional stuff, please feel free to head straight to sponsoring me 😊)

Firstly, the women in my maternal family have all had breast cancer. Thankfully, in every case it was caught early and treated successfully, which means they have all survived. However, this also means I’m at a higher risk of developing breast cancer myself, and as I turn 40 this year I’ll begin regular mammograms. Because of this, breast cancer awareness and self-checking have always been part of my life — but I know that isn’t the case for everyone, and I’d love to help spread that awareness further.

Secondly, I wanted to set myself a physical challenge after several years of struggling with pain that has limited what I’ve been able to do.

In 2020, I lost my first pregnancy, which left me changed both physically and mentally. Although I was told everything was “normal,” I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. A year later I had a successful pregnancy, but I developed pelvic girdle pain that made walking more than half a mile incredibly difficult. I was told it would resolve after birth — but when our beautiful son arrived in February 2022, weeks and months passed with no improvement.

My plans of daily walks with my baby were replaced with pain and frustration, and even short walks with the pram left me feeling debilitated. As exercise has always been hugely important for my mental wellbeing, this was an incredibly tough period, and I felt helpless and at times completely hopeless.

A year later, I was pregnant again. The pain had eased slightly and only became severe in the final two weeks of pregnancy. After our beautiful daughter was born — knowing she would be our last baby — I decided it was time to try to take control back. I knew that if this didn’t change, I might never be the active mum I wanted to be.

After seeing a physio and then a wonderfully supportive doctor, I finally got answers: severe arthritis in my pelvis, likely caused by pregnancy. There were a lot of tears — it felt permanent and overwhelming — but when I asked if I’d ever be able to ride my bike or hike again, I was met with real hope. I was told to see this as a long-term journey, but one where rebuilding strength and returning to the activities I love was absolutely possible.

With the help of an incredible women’s health physio, I rebuilt strength, learned to understand and overcome chronic pain, and was eventually discharged to continue my journey independently. I joined a gym, kept building, I’ve rode my bike (and cried), climbed a hill (and cried) and eventually realised it was time to set myself a goal (I'm sure more tears will come) — not just for me, but to be a role model for my children too.

None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my amazing partner (and the best dad to our children) who has been unwavering in his encouragement and understanding, my loving family, and some truly wonderful friends who’ve been there through the highs and lows.

So here I am — staring down the barrel of a 100km multi-day hike. I’m terrified, but I’m also incredibly proud of how far I’ve come. We can do hard things.

If you’re able to donate anything at all, I’d be so grateful for your support — for me, and for CoppaFeel!