This September I am Stomping for BRCA+ Chat because over a decade ago we lost our mum to cancer, and awareness of this condition might've helped prevent it. I'm aiming to hit a minimum of 250km total walking, measured with my watch step counter, ~350,000 steps.

Pretty Pol, Pauline Williams, helped inspire the founding of this charity, as her death upturned our lives, most of all for my sister Christen, a cofounder who now diligently spends her time raising awareness of and providing support for the BRCA+ gene mutation.

This inherited mutation drastically raises the chances of cancer, and I, as well as 3 of my 4 siblings, have since been diagnosed with it. Being aware of this means we can get ahead of the problem, being more vigilant about our health and taking extra measures to avoid cancer risks - and my sister has already had a mastectomy.

Our mother was full of energy and loved by all. She made everyone feel like family, and had just embarked on a new life by the sea when she got ill. We lost her too soon, but her memory lives vividly on and this charity is already having an international impact in helping others, as she always did herself.

I will be walking throughout September, in the UK and later in Japan (!), always keeping our mum in my thoughts, in the hope that by raising money and awareness for BRCA+ Chat we can continue to ensure others avoid what happened to her.