As a former Health Correspondent for ITV Wales News, I’m no stranger to stories of injury and illness, but last year I was the one in hospital.

I had been skiing in France when I fell, severing my anterior cruciate ligament and damaging the cartilage in my knee. The result was an operation and months of rehabilitation, but the biggest issue for me to deal with, was the fact that I had to miss out on a journey of a lifetime in aid of the charity Marie Curie.

I had been looking forward to the trek in the Costa Rican rainforest for months so I couldn’t believe it when the doctor told me I’d have to miss out because I needed major surgery.

Overseas treks are one of the biggest sources of income for
Marie Curie’s Cardiff and The Vale Hospice in Penarth, which I am an Ambassador of.

I’ve seen the difference Marie Curie makes to people with terminal illnesses and their families, the staff cared for my grandfather, which is why I wanted to take part in the Costa Rica Trek, to give something back.

But it’s not all bad news because my knee has now healed, so later today I’ll be embarking on a trek for Marie Curie in Sri Lanka instead!

It’s going to be an amazing adventure and I know the money raised will make a real difference. There are 25 of us going in total, including my husband Dave, and every single one of us is raising at least £3,500. The hospice costs £4.6million a year to run, and only 40% of that comes from the government, the rest is made up of donations and fundraising, which is why this trek is so important, so I’d like to thank everyone who has donated to our trek fund, in particular CJCH solicitors, Knights Estate Agents and Memorable Creative Journalism who have sponsored me as well as Hydroflask which has donated equipment.

After months of physiotherapy to ensure my knee is strong enough for the trek I am a little anxious, but I’ve spoken to my consultant and physio who are both confident I have nothing to worry about, and when I arrive in Sri Lanka I’ll have the full support of the Marie Curie Team.

In a few hours time we’ll be leaving for the airport, then when we arrive we’ll begin our trek through forests and National Parks with breath taking views, and across the Sri Lankan mountains. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s one I know we can all complete. So wish us luck and I’ll blog again when I return!

 

For more information about the trek visit the Marie Curie website:

http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/charity-events/hospice-treks/sri-lanka-trek-marie-curie-cardiff

To sponsor Mariclare visit her Justgiving page:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/daveandmariclare