I am on a mission to raise £3,000 for the Royal Air Forces Association as a heartfelt tribute to three airmen who tragically lost their lives over Coventry in 1940. Their story of sacrifice has profoundly inspired me, and I want to honour their memory in a meaningful way.

So far I have climbed 105 peaks across the UK in 2024 . I pushed hard in May and hit my target of 50, in June we trekked 50km through the Atlas mountains and climbed Mount Toubkal in Morocco.

My long story follows:

We often find inspiration in the strangest of places, for me it was in London road cemetery in Coventry.

I often run there, it is quiet and green space, with tight turns and hills that make it a great place for interval training. Around this time last year I noticed an odd arrangement of Commonwealth war graves - there were two close together with an obvious gap, as if the middle stone had been removed.

I looked up the service numbers of the two service men and learned about an event on the 24th of May 1940 when Serget John Raymond COLLINGHAM (564603), Aircraftman 1st Class Sydney Ewbank FIRTH (615843) and Pilot Officer James Melville Dundas IRVINE (39988) lost their lives following an accident that damaged their aircraft while flying over the city.

They were on a training exercise and flying at night - when in low cloud they hit a guide wire for a barrage balloon and sustained engine damage. They dropped flares and circled the area trying to find a safe place to land, but there was nothing but houses in the area.

What really struck me was their decision to remain with their plane and deliberately ditch it in to a cricket pitch, rather than bail out and risk the plane crashing into a densely populated residential area, they died in the crash.

That singular act of sacrifice really resonated with me, not solely for the selflessness of what they did, but because I couldn't see any circumstances in which I would have done any different - and that changed how I looked at myself, and how I thought about how I wanted to be.

There is a lot to unpick there, but the upshot is, I think about these guys often and I am committed to ensuring that their story doesn't get forgotten.

As part of this, I decided to spend a year exploring my limits to see what I could achieve, and to do it in a way that would honour their memories.

To be honest I have had an brilliant year so far. Probably the best thing has been training with Earl James (a retired Royal Marine). Our conversations inspired me to research military strategy, and military history, and that encouraged me to find way to support the military community.

With Earl's support I've tackled the fan dance twice, run a half marathon carrying 70lbs, yomped over 400km in the mountains with a similar load.

I am also training as a chef, a first responder and a mountain leader. I even got married - after 12 years of procrastinating - the inscription on my wedding ring encapsulates my new outlook "Amnio Aurea, Mens Mercurii, Voluntas Ferrea, et Cor Fidelis ad Finem"

In the last year I have used each challenge as an opportunity to raise money for The Royal Air Forces Association, I also volunteer with their 'Connections for Life' service - they are really nice people, who genuinely care about looking after the RAF community.

Travelling to Morocco with a medallion I had inscribed with the names of the airmen was a highlight for me. I figured stashing it at the top of a tall mountain would be a fitting tribute to their sacrifice and a way to say thanks for encouraging me to become a better person. I built a small cairn in a secluded spot, it was quite an emotional moment and I fefelt Connected to them and the wider RAF community.

That is why I want to raise £3,000, I know money is tight, but if you can chip in a few quid I will think nice things about you and RAFA will spend it supporting RAF veterans and their families and make sure none of them feel alone or left behind.

The sacrifice of these three people 84 years ago inspired me to change my life - perhaps inspiration is all around us, we just have to open our eyes, listen and seize the opportunity.

Thanks for reading my story, now go do something nice for yourself.