We are walking Hadrian's Wall to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.  Nigel's daughter, Sophie, suffers from this terrible disease, so the cause is very personal to us.  Here is Nigel's story:

I'll never forget the day Sophie Alice came into the World (28 Feb 2008), she was petite with masses of spiked black hair - such a cutie :-).

A few days later a health visitor popped in to do a routine 'heal prick test'. 3 weeks later we still hadn't received the results...nothing to worry about was the response from friends and family, look at her she's a picture of health.

2 days later the bomb shell landed...And we received the dreadful news that Sophie had Cystic Fibrosis. The health visitor returned (along with a counsellor) to explain the symptoms and prognosis (when I asked the dreaded question about life expectancy, the response was she can live into early adult hood!!! What???, no, this cannot be happening to my perfect, little family).

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting, inherited condition caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of cells. This causes thick mucus to gather in the lungs and digestive system. The lungs become a breeding ground for bacteria and infection, making it hard to breath. There is currently no cure for CF. Each week 5 babies are born with CF and 2 will die. For many people with CF, a double lung transplant becomes the only option.

If I fast forward 8 years, Sophie is still a cutie...and she's also one determined and spirited little girl, despite having to take 60+ tablets a day & a rigorous fitness regime. She's even in her school cross country team :-).

When Stephen and Laurie very kindly offered to walk Hadrian's Wall for CF, I was absolutely thrilled and jumped at the opportunity to join them. Ok, it will be tough - 84 miles is a long way (...& if my 7 mile walk last night is anything to go by, it's not to be taken lightly!). But, the aches and pains fade into insignificance when I think about the challenges those with CF must face on a daily basis, there's no break or respite for them.

My hope is that Sophie will lead a full and happy life. With your support and generosity, better management (& even a cure) for CF is one step closer.

Thank you so much for your support (& again thanks to Stephen and Laurie for making this happen :-))

I also lost a school friend, Nic Watson, to CF in 2001.  He was 30 years old and had been married a year.  He achieved more in his 30 years than most of us do in a lifetime.  If walking 84 miles can do a tiny bit to help people like Nic, Sophie and their families, I am happy to put up with the aches and blisters.

Our employer Sage have kindly offered to donate £1500.