14 years ago I suffered a spinal stroke and in a matter of hours became a full time wheelchair user. Nothing prepares anyone for such a life changing situation and the effect it has on you as a person, your family and friends.

Being told you will never walk again feels like a life sentence and propels you into a world full of challenges just to live a life that most people are blessed to take for granted.

Pre wheelchair I was a happy runner with our beloved family dog. It took a good few years after injury to have the confidence and find the opportunity to return to decent exercise - this time in a wheelchair.

I was delighted that my daughter caught the running bug too and we have hatched a plan to take on the challenge of 400k in May. Yes, both of us are each undertaking to cover 200 kilometers during May either by push or foot.

We would love to raise money to create a little more hope for my fellow comrades diagnosed with spinal injuries. This world is not really designed for wheelchair users and only pushing on with research can open up opportunities for improvements in our lives.

Spinal Research is the UK’s leading charity funding medical research around the world to develop effective treatments for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury. Every year 1,000 people in the UK and Ireland are paralysed following an injury to their spinal cord. They receive no government funding and rely entirely on the support of the public to raise funds for our research. Because of the efforts of our supporters, we have funded innovative medical research that has achieved a number of groundbreaking changes in the field.