Equilore is a charity that has provided me with much needed mental health support over a number of years. Loes a trained psychologist and her team of horses have supported me through complex thoughts, feelings and emotions related to bereavement, recovery from depression, anxiety, working through & processing deep rooted childhood & adult trauma and much more. I continue to be supported by this charity at the time of writing this.

Equilore has quite simply been my guiding star in what felt like very scary times, times in which there was more darkness in my world than light. I began my journey at Equilore shutdown & enclosed, my thoughts were constantly racing, I had difficulty eating and sleeping, I was unable to verbalise how I felt & I was lacking in confidence and self esteem with very negative views of the world and myself, I didn’t feel present in the world nor did I have any sense of trust in others - yet I was adamant that I was ‘fine’. - I’m sure many can relate.

What I found so empowering when I first began my journey at Equilore, was that no words were needed because the horses are in tune with human body language, picking up on slight changes in the human nervous system, displaying those changes through their responses, allowing the facilitator to support even in the complete absence of words.

The horses and the facilitators really come alongside demonstrating the power & emphasis of just being in the moment without necessarily doing, this has helped me to acknowledge and accept what I feel without judging those emotions, & in turn this has provided me with healing on a deeper level than I ever thought possible.

I have now developed trust in the team & I am able to identify and verbalise how I feel which is incredibly important for my well being, with the support of Equilore I am now becoming more self aware, connected to others & the world around me, I am both curious and keen to explore new perspectives as I learn how to live and thrive as opposed to being in survival mode. .

The work that the Equilore team do is incredible and for me has been both life changing & life saving, therefore in July 2024 I set myself a huge challenge in the hope that I could give something back, I began training with the aim to walk 2 marathons in 2 days in the course of 1 weekend, covering the distance of approximately 60 miles/96 KM.

My marathon walk saw me depart from my home location in Bicester Oxfordshire on the 28th September 2024 and make my way to Oxford on foot and back, which was then repeated the following day, both times dressed as a brown horse 🐴 My awesome friends and work colleagues Mia Burgess & Karen Richardson volunteered to come on board and join me , together our aim was to raise awareness & as many giggles, smiles & funds as possible , to truly reflect the benefits of equine therapy & the positive impacts it can bring.

Having undergone multiple knee surgeries over the years following a severe cycling accident , overcoming sepsis twice and at one stage being told I might lose a limb or may never walk again, this was an immense challenge for me personally, yet with every mile I was committed to completing what I had set out to achieve.

Overall with our first challenge we walked the distance of 2 ultra marathons back to back in the the course of one weekend completing 65 miles in total, we had so many incredible experiences along the way that as a result I have decided to continue raising awareness of and funds for Equilore (see more details below dated 1st October 2024 )

I am completing these self set challenges because I feel deeply passionate about raising awareness of mental health & the support that is available.I’ve struggled personally to a huge degree with trauma and mental health challenges including extreme anxiety during which just stepping outside my house was overwhelming for a time.

My recovery is ongoing however as a result of working with Equilore to overcome my own challenges with regard to mental heath I am now further forward in my recovery than I ever imagined I could be, therefore I have now chosen to share my story and experiences in the hope that my journey can be a source of light for anyone that requires a helping hand.

For me the challenges are about determination and self belief- tackling fears, setting myself targets and goals , working towards them, believing that I CAN achieve & accomplish what I set my mind to & going out there and doing it.

My aim is that in addition to raising awareness of and funds for Equilore , I can inspire and give hope to others that recovery from trauma and mental health challenges is absolutely possible 💞

All funds raised during this campaign are supporting this fantastic charity in their venture to purchase a converted shipping container, which will provide them with a functional, welcoming, warm, dry and cosy environment, that will act as a therapeutic area/ classroom/ office space in which they can use during the winter , allowing them to continue their amazing work.

For more information on the work that Equilore do please visit and follow their page on Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/Equilore

Thank you Equilore for supporting, encouraging & nurturing me in so many ways, allowing my light to shine again.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

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1st October 2024 ~~~ Reflections on challenge 1:

Hello Supporters -

I’ve been looking back on this challenge and I wished to share my reflections & thoughts with you - I’ve had so much fun and so many wonderful experiences whilst training for and completing my 1st challenge in this fundraiser. I’ve absolutely loved meeting so many like minded individuals.

I’ve met new people who were curious as to what I was doing walking miles dressed as a horse, these individuals are now becoming friends, & I have a sense that existing connections have been built upon, strengthening trust & bonds in already established links and friendships, the support from both individuals I know & those I’ve never met has been incredible from the start.

To have the opportunity to lead Elsie - the horse who has been a massively significant part of my therapy journey on many levels into the heart of and through the centre of Oxford was the most extraordinary moment of my life , it felt so surreal & I had to have a double take as I wasn’t at all expecting the Equilore team and Elsie to appear behind me, by this point I was totally in the zone of ‘just do it’ , yet with a visit from a surprise guest I was suddenly aware of my surroundings & present again.

For me to walk alongside & lead Elsie - who is the horse that mirrors me & I feel connected to the most , was the most beautiful heart warming experience, I feel incredibly touched by this gesture & the positive memories of this experience will live with me forever ♥️

I have had many positive interactions with the community of Oxfordshire and beyond, speaking to individuals from all walks of life and all corners of the world on my travels, pushing my comfort zones & challenging myself to do the things that scare me…. Including but not limited to defying the odds of what was once an expected outcome of multiple surgeries, walking alone in the pitch black down remote country roads , tackling social anxiety by talking to new people, learning to ask for & accept help when it was needed , going to new and unfamiliar locations, putting myself in crowded places, speaking about my journey at Equilore on the radio, sharing my story with journalists from the local media teams, opening up about aspects of my personal life on the net , & most of all facing & tackling my fears of allowing in feelings of vulnerability.

I set out with a goal of accomplishing something I have never done, to look back on as a positive memory in years to come & I thought what better way is there to achieve that, than doing it whilst I raise awareness and funds for the charity that has seen me through all of this 💞

This fundraiser has done the above & more, & on a personal level it has benefited me physically, emotionally and psychologically in so many positive ways. Totally exceeding what I ever imagined this could achieve.

None of this would have been possible without the support of the community & all who sponsored this 1st challenge so a massive THANK YOU to you all for your kind, generous donations to this cause & your ongoing support. - Please continue to share details of this fundraising campaign with your family, friends and associates 💞

Over the last 3 months this fundraiser has become a key part in supporting with my healing , providing an outlet for stored energy, bringing me new connections, allowing me to process and find moments of peace and calm during my training sessions, bringing joy and happiness into my life just to name a few things, & so it seems a shame to end it here ….

On that note this page is open until December 2025 as I wish to continue raising awareness of & fundraising for Equilore to give back in return for the new lease of life they have given me ….. So what’s next when I’ve recovered ? ….. 1000 miles walked ? 3 peaks challenge ? A tandem sky dive with medical go ahead ? Walking the Thames path from start to finish ? Ridgeway national trail ? Bungee jump ? Wing walk ? ….

Anything and everything that may pop into my mind in between !

Who knows where this will lead ….

Live life without limits, for this new journey is just beginning…. Keep posted !! 💞