About the challenge:

My mother Emily has already walked from Porto to Vigo in September 2024, so I am now joining her and we are walking the Camino Portugese from Vigo to Finisterre (via Santiago de Compostela) in Spain which is a total of 150 miles and we are aiming to walk it in 9 days.

I am really excited and looking forward to doing this walking challenge with my mum. Not only is it putting the past behind me but also, I want to raise money for The Royal Naval Officers Charity (RNOC), who have been so supportive and generous with funding for my treatment and for supporting me and my family throughout the last couple of years.

About me:

In October 2023, I had a stroke and was seriously ill. I then unexpectedly went completely mute which was absolutely terrifying. I commicated with my friends & family by using Google translate on my phone all of which was very hard, isolating, frustrating and overwhelming. I lost self - esteem, self - confidence and felt very insecure, I was very frightened that I would never be able to speak again.

Fast forward to January 2024, I was diagnosed with a rare and complex neurological condition called FND (Functional Neurological Disorder). Thankfully, with private funding and the support of the RNOC Charity we were able to put together an incredible neurological team, who over the last 18 months have helped me retrain my brain.

I have had to learn how to speak, read and write again - all of which has been very frustrating and challenging at times, but with the support of my family and friends and my singing, my speech has come back and I have have been making a very pro-active and positive recovery. What I have learned from my experience is patience, determination and perseverance is key.

As I am writing this, I am now in a much happier and healthier place and I am really proud myself and I am now more open and comfortable to talk about my experiences in order to help others.

I am very proud to be a Naval housewife to my wonderful husband while also studying a Floristry Course which I am throughly enjoying. I am also doing lots of arts and crafts, lots of singing with the help of a very kind friend and also now volunteering part-time in a shop.

About the charity:

Thank you so much for reading the above and visiting my JustGiving page. Any small donation would be hugely appreciated, as the Royal Navy Officers' Charity (RNOC) provides benevolence to both serving and retired officers of the Naval Service (RN, RM and QARNNS), their spouses, former spouses and dependants who are in need of financial support.

Please see link below for more information about the RNOC.

https://www.arno.org.uk/rnoc/

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Love,

Zara X