I love the great outdoors and my children (ages 17 and 25) have also grown to do so too. Two weeks ago, we went to North Wales for the weekend.

We explored Gwydir forest and climbed and scrambled part of the mountain, Moel Siabod. This is a special place for me as it is uniquely beautiful. At the end of that first day we went to the lake at the edge of the forest, Llannau Mymbyr. My son, aged 17, wanted to try outdoor swimming for the first time. I swim outdoors all the time as well as being quiet and beautiful, it is the cold water (especially in the winter) which helps me manage my pain. My son has cold showers every day for his own mental health. After patiently listening to my safety talk, he just waltzed into the lake with me, like he had been doing it all of his life. None of the squeals and swearing I often hear from adults when they try it for the first time. He loved it and will be joining me for swims which makes me happy.

We spent the rest of the weekend enjoying gorge walks, the Dee Valley and the many colours of autumn in the Welsh countryside.

Three months ago I signed up to do the Cancer Research 10k Shine Walk in Leicester and I committed myself to walking, cycling, paddling and swimming 500 miles in the three months leading up to it. The weekend in Wales helped me pass the final miles in the best of ways. Last Saturday I did the Shine Walk. As I walked the route, I reflected on how much things have changed for me in the last three years. When I first started to be able to leave my house, I could barely walk ten minutes to my local stretch of canal. All the time spent in hospital and being ill at home meant I was overweight and lost all my strength and fitness. In the process of rebuilding it, I discovered that movement can be a thing of joy and essential to managing my illness. I have discovered my body is actually capable of far more than I gave it credit for.