In 2007, after living with severe illness for most of her life, my mum passed away from multiple sclerosis when I was just 18 years old. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of her death.

To mark this milestone, I am hoping to repeat a challenge I first attempted in 2011: the National Three Peaks Challenge — climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland, and Wales within 24 hours.

The last time I took on this challenge was an incredibly emotional experience. Along the way, I scattered my mum’s ashes at the summits of Ben Nevis and Snowdon. Sadly, dangerous conditions meant we were unable to summit Scafell Pike, and we finished several hours outside the official time limit.

Twenty years on, I want to return to those mountains — to revisit the places where my mum rests, to honour her memory, and hopefully this time complete all three summits within the 24-hour timeframe.

I’m incredibly grateful to be taking on this challenge alongside an amazing group of people I’ve met through Scouting, and together we hope to raise money for a cause that remains deeply personal to me.

The support and breakthroughs in MS treatment over the last 20 years have been extraordinary, and fundraising today will help continue improving the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis — while also supporting the research and medical advances that could one day prevent other families from experiencing the loss that ours did.