In October 2025 I will be climbing the world's highest freestanding mountain, with 19 other inspirational women (including 8 who, like myself, have permanent stomas) to raise money for Chameleon Buddies.

Chameleon Buddies is a charity who support women and girls in Eldoret, Kenya, who have stomas and continence issues following fistulas, many of which are as a result of prolonged childbirth. The purpose of the trek is to raise money to build an entirely new wing at Gynocare womens fistula hospital, a wing dedicated to stoma and continence; with training, and educational facilities, clinic space, storage space and a peer support area. This wing has been quoted at £90,000 so every penny counts.

I live in Northumberland with my husband James, children Jacob (6), Felicity (4) and Jack Russell, Scamp!

I had emergency surgery to create a stoma in 2021 due to severe ulcerative colitis. Since surgery I have followed and been inspired by Gill (BBC Stoma Swimmer), her commitment to the Chameleon Buddies and amazing achievement of swimming the English Channel.

I taught in a farm school in South Africa after school, and ever since Africa has a special place in my heart. I gave birth to a stillborn son in 2015 and suffered from a fistula following the birth of my second son; so birth trauma also strikes a chord.

After a tough few years, losing my Mum to cancer in 2023 and the prospect of turning 40 in 2025, I would love to achieve something great for myself but to do so climbing Kilimanjaro while raising funds for the amazing cause of providing hospital facilities for ladies in Kenya with birth trauma and stomas is just perfect.

This will be a huge challenge, an opportunity for us to push ourselves. We’ll head into the wilderness and tackle Mt Kilimanjaro, rising from the rain-forests on the slopes of this dramatic peak. Over nine days of great adventure we will hike at altitude from alpine meadow to luna-like landscape, until we summit the 5,895m peak. It’s not just a trek; it’s a symbol of resilience and hope for women who have been injured from childbirth, or who are adapting to life with a stoma.

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