My hometown, Maldon is famous for two things. Maldon Salt and mud!

Since before I was born, the Maldon Mud race sees people run from one side of the Maldon Promenade into the river, down the estuary and out the other side.

This year, I have somewhat crazily decided to participate. This is by far my most physical challenge ever and I am already very anxious but determined. Please read my story below to know why.

I have never been fit, my weight and fitness has been an issue all of my life but it never really bothered me too much until in 2021 I had my L5 disc herniate and pierced through onto my sciatic nerve.

When it first happened I had no idea what it was, just one day, out of nowhere, I could no longer walk and it was so painful I could not sit down, lie down, I have never felt pain like it.

The first few weeks were impossible, I could not even walk between rooms at home and after then it got to a point where I could at least get around the house but it took months before I could walk more than about 5-10 minutes a go outside the house. I even had to ask my dad to drive over during my lunch break because I was too scared to walk to the end of the road and back by myself.

Overnight everything I knew to be normal changed, I could not put on my shoes myself, could barely drive because some days I could not feel my right leg at all. I could not get up and down off the floor, barely could get out of bed. Life was awful.

I was fortunate to have private medical care through work but I was told by the back surgeon my only choices were surgery which had huge risks due to the location, steroid injections or lifelong pain killers.

10 years or so prior my mum had done the exact same injury, she had decided to go the route of the steroids. It was the worst thing she could have ever done, she became fast addicted to these and then several other pain drugs because overtime the impact lessened so much for her she needed more and more.

She eventually became wheelchair bound and finally lost her life in 2020 - at which point she had spent several years taking more than 40 tablets every day in addition to steroid jabs and patches.

The thought of following her steps terrified me. I refused medical intervention and carried on best I could, every day was unbearable but I just existed as I could.

In December 2022 after 18 months of very little sleep (laying down is when it hurts the most but when all back repair happens) I finally decided to give in and have the steroid injections because I felt I had no more choice and it was ruining my life. It was against everything I wanted to do but I could not carry on.

However, due to some crazy issues with the hospital vs my insurance we hit tons of hurdles getting it booked in. I was offered a different hospital and a brand new Dr but I just kept getting told "this is so odd we have just never had this issue booking someone ever before" it just felt like a sign from above, whether that was from mum or the universe I’m not sure but I knew that this really wasn't what I should be doing and something in me just snapped and I backed out.

In January 2023 I got myself a new set of trainers and every day that month I went for a walk. I tried to be just 1 minute faster than the day before or go 100 steps further. By February I progressed into dance workouts in my bedroom and in March I joined the gym.

I am now just over 2 years into my gym journey and I now hit 10k steps most days (so far have a 97 day streak as I write this) I weight lift 3/4 times a week and I have a treadmill at home that I use 6/7 days a week.

I have lost 5 stone so far and am stronger than I have ever been. I still have a long way to go.

I’ll never be able to repair the injury without the surgery but I’ve learned how to cope and push forwards so it doesn’t hold me back.

The pain is much better, albeit the sciatica is still a lot sometimes. As I write this page I am 10 days into my most major flair up in a year and its impossible to escape every step hurts right now but I have learned to be resilient and push through to the greater good knowing every day I am stronger than the one before.

So, whilst watching the mud race last year, with my partners now 9 year old daughter, I had a crazy moment of inspiration that "I could do that" I have never in my life considered it, or wanted to do it. Watching her excitement seeing the racers made me see the opportunity to inspire her that even the things that scare you the most can be done. This is a key reason I signed up to show her that anxiety is something to be faced not a hold back,

In addition to my psychical challenges above I also hate mud and i'm a huge germophobe LOL so there honestly could not be the worser thing to have picked to challenge myself with.

The best part about it is my race partner is my best friend since I was 5, Becka Godfrey. We were raised in Maldon on the same street. We went to the same schools in Maldon together from day one and we have managed to keep each other alive for the past 36 years in some questionable situation so fingers crossed for another year of making it through.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate this is long but I wanted to share the background as if nothing else I hope to be able to inspire someone else who may not be at their best self right now to power forwards to their goals.

Anything you can share is so appreciated, even if it is just some words of encouragement - Ill need them.

All money raised will be going to the Maldon Mud Race charities on the main page.