After losing a good friend Rosemary (and also her husband Richard) earlier in ‘23, both of whom benefited from the wonderful care provided by Marie Curie Cymru, the charity I trekked with to Patagonia in late ‘22, I decided to give more time to raising funds for the same charity who support anyone with a terminal illness including their families. Since setting up this page, another close friend Johannah Smith, has sadly passed, also spending her last days in the Marie Curie hospice - as well as another friend’s husband and another’s Mum having benefited from the care.

Ahead of the final challenge of a Great Wall of China trek in Oct 25, a complete change from the planned Jordan/Petra trek from Nov 24 which was postponed due to the risks of Middle East travel at that point (note that the costs of the trek are being funded by myself ie all donations will be used by Marie Curie to provide care), I’ve set myself various other challenges from a Run, Walk, Crawl 18 mile event and Hadrian’s Wall Path 100 mile/161 km trek in April, The Dingle Way in May, the Alta Via in the Dolomites in July and Coast to Coast in Sept. I've now added additional challenges, due to the delay, of completing the O Trek in Chile, Patagonia, in January '25, the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland in July ‘25 and the Chemin de la Liberte in the Pyrenees, other big undertakings! And the hardest thing of all, for a non-runner who struggles to run more than a few metres, the Newport 10k, Porthcawl 10k and Cardiff Half-Marathon.

On the Jordan trip, we would have been camping in the Wadi Rum desert for a few days with no toilets or washing facilities and have to look out for scorpions and other insects 🕷️ so no luxuries 😳. On the O trek, I'll also be camping for 8 days with limited facilities in one of the wildest areas of the world - and the biggest challenge for me, carrying a big backpack throughout as we have no luggage transfer!

The Great Wall of China brings different challenges. I'll be tackling a series of vigorous climbs totalling over 10,000 uneven steps. The trek will follow the winding path along the Yan Mountains to the Gubeikou Gateway and takes on the famous ‘heavenly staircase’. Exhaustion is guaranteed - and the transport and accommodation is going to be pretty basic.

Every day of your life matters from the first to the last. I’m trying to make the most of mine as one day it will be my last - as one day it will be yours.

Marie Curie (and myself) believe that everyone living with a terminal illness should be able to get the most from the time they have left, however hard that may sometimes feel. They will be here for you and your family when you may feel like no-one else is, to help you cope when you don't know how.

Marie Curie Nurses care for you in your home, when you need them most, day or night. Their hospices are at the heart of communities around the UK. And their trained volunteers and advisers are here for you with practical information and support when you don't know what to do next or just need to talk. They will be by your side with care and support every step of the way, bringing light in the darkest hours.

Thank you for reading this and supporting me raise funds for this amazing charity.