I'm challenging myself (and Lloyd) to complete 31 minutes of exercise every day throughout May to raise money for Stroke Association.

As I approach my 7 year stroke anniversary I wanted to do something to raise money for this incredible charity who helped me so much with their support throughout my recovery.

To look or speak to me you may think that I’m completey fine and made a full recovery but I’m going to make you aware of the symptoms that I still experience everyday.

First of all is my short term memory or complete lack of it. I have notes almost everywhere reminding me of anything I need to do, without these I would be completely lost, it had become almost an obsession to control and organise everything I can in my life.

Secondly I have blurred vision in the corner of my eyes which becomes far more apparent when I am stressed, tired or overwhelmed.

And finally the effect that frustrates me the most is the inability to locate vocabulary in my brain. So basically to explain a bit better- all our vocabulary is stored in lovely organised files in our brain but when you have a stroke it’s like a tornado has gone through and thrown all the files everywhere. The word I want to find is still in my head (that’s the frustrating part) but it can take me a while to find it’s location after the storm. I find it difficult taking to people about a topic which is unfamiliar or being put on the spot to answer a question, the same goes for speaking in public or under pressure.

31 Minutes of exercise in May is a fun way for us all to keep active and raise vital funds to help stroke survivors find strength through support. Your fundraising can help in incredible ways:

• £50 could help us fund research to find new ways to help stroke survivors with communication difficulties.

• £150 could help pay for research into new stroke treatments, such as thrombolysis, a clot-busting drug that returns the blood supply to the brain that has transformed the outcomes of stroke survivors who have received it.

• £250 could pay for one hour of Helpline activity, helping the families of stroke survivors support their loved ones after stroke.