I am nearly 50 years old and a little over a year ago I  decided to try and qualify for the Sleddog World Championships. My family and friends thought I was mad. It’s not often at my age in life that you get the chance to represent your country or take up a new sport, but anyone who knows me knows I am not conventional and once I’ve set my goals I’m very determined. Firstly I had to learn to ride a bike better, get considerably fitter and work with my dog, who whilst having the physical attributes was nervous and not very confident, we both needed to learn to believe in ourselves. It was a steep learning curve for us both and I’ve pushed my body to the limits.  I’m always covered in bruises and grazes, but amazingly our hard work paid off and we became the British Champions earning us a spot to race for our country. Probably now the biggest challenge is to find the funds to make this all possible.

Why part with your hard earned cash?

I want to prove that people can dare to dream. I would love to place on the podium,  union jack draped around my shoulders,  medal hanging around my neck and my dog standing by my side. I go to bed at night thinking how amazing this would be and the best part is I get to do it with one of my best buddies. Magnus was the runt of his litter and dropped from the team he ran in, for being nervous. It’s been a challenge for the big lad, but he has grown in confidence and we are surpassing our training targets. I think he wants to prove people wrong as much as I do.

We’re also tackling the Coast to Coast Cycle route in September. I will be covering 140 miles under pedal power from Whitehaven to Tynemouth with Magnus joining me where suitable. Follow our progress on the Facebook page.

Finally a big shout out to everyone that has helped me get this far. My family, friends and the following companies:-

• Kross UK
• Hooner Sled Dog
• Infinity Advanced Pet Nutrition
• Zero DC
• Cornwall UK9
• Kitvision