A disabled woman has walked 2,000 miles with her four-legged, flat-nose companion for an epic charity challenge.
Multiple Sclerosis hasn’t stopped Jemma Redden from walking and she’s on a mission to walk 5,000 miles over five years for the MS Society with her six-year-old Pug dog, Max.
Jemma, who lives in Leicestershire, was first diagnosed with the neurological condition 13 years ago.
One in 500 people in the UK has MS, which is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord.
“I decided to set myself a challenge during the last lockdown as I was feeling low and reflecting on what my legacy might be. I can’t have children and when I looked back at my last charity challenge, I felt proud at what I had achieved and wondered if I could do something on a bigger scale,” said Jemma, who completed 1,000 miles for the MS Society in 2015.
The 36-year-old has called her walking challenge #Invisible40.
“My last challenge was called #Invisible30 to raise awareness of the invisible condition and celebrate my upcoming birthday and the fact my legs still worked," added Jemma.
"This time, I could see the big 4-0 in the not-too-distant future and decided to set myself a challenge to push myself out of the dark space, celebrate my continued mobility and raise awareness for the invisible condition that is still not widely understood.”
Jemma’s Pug dog, Max has joined her on the majority of the miles with walks across the country.
The rambling duo are now aiming to reach 3,000 miles by the three-year mark in September.
Jemma’s challenge, #Invisible40, is about raising awareness and funds for the MS Society by walking 5,000 miles over five years between September 2020 and September 2025.
For more information and to donate please visit her JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jemma-redden
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