I turned 40 in March and want to mark this milestone birthday with a personal fitness challenge along my favourite coastline with some of my favourite people by my side.

I aim to do a combination of runs and bike rides, and hopefully (weather and tide dependant) a few sea swims to get me from Druridge up to Seahouses, where a welcome party and some fizz will be waiting!

I have long admired Gill Castle for her incredible endurance, challenges and compassion, and her work using her voice to advocate for those affected by birth trauma. As I take on 40 Miles of Smiles, which aims to include some sea swimming/dipping, it feels only fitting to support the charity founded by the first woman to swim the English Channel with a stoma.

I am raising funds for Chameleon Buddies, a charity that provides life-changing support to women in the UK and Kenya who have experienced birth trauma and stoma surgery. By donating, you’re helping to provide medical supplies, peer support, and dignity to women navigating life after life-altering surgery.

Thank you for helping me raise vital funds and awareness while I brave the waves, roads and coastal path!