A MUM from Wotton who took up exercise whilst undergoing chemotherapy has braved the SAS’s training ground for a ferocious challenge.

Julie Jenner, 51, hadn’t exercised since her school days but she turned her life around after being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in March 2015.

Now Julie and her husband Carl have completed a 25km trek through the Brecon Beacons including scaling 886 metres up Pen y Fan to raise money for Longfield.

To make her journey even more challenging, Julie, who is facing a future of reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy and 10 years of drugs, was feeling sick in the run-up to the Trekfest.

“I’m having a battle with nausea and I’d had a bad week so I didn’t know if I could do it.

"Two or three kilometres in I was feeling so sick but I took some anti-nausea tablets and carried on,” said Julie.

“I didn’t realise until someone told me a few days before that the SAS use the Brecon Beacons as their training ground – now I know why.

"It was so steep and we seemed to be climbing for ever.

“About half an hour from the summit the weather suddenly changed; we were engulfed in mist and it was lashing down with rain and gale force winds.

“We were trying to scrabble up a wet, muddy mountainside and it felt like we were going to be swept off the side. The conditions were treacherous.”

To many people it sounds like a horrendous experience but Julie, from Wotton-under-Edge, isn’t one to be daunted - once she was down and warmed up, she loved the whole thing.

“I’m still buzzing. It was the best experience ever and we had such support from our friends and family,” said Julie.

The challenge was a highlight in Julie’s year of fundraising for Longfield, the Minchinhampton based hospice charity which helped her heal emotionally during illness.

She said “With gift aid we raised £1,021 from the trek – that brings the total for my year of fundraising for Longfield to £8,600 so far.

“When I started I was hoping beyond hope to raise £5,000 – now, of course, I want to get to £10,000.”

“People have been so, so kind. It’s incredible.

“The trek was brutal. It really pushed me to the absolute limit but the sense of achievement is just immense.

“Just 18 months ago I was so unfit and I hadn’t done any exercise for 30 years – I could hardly walk to the end of the road without being breathless.

“Now I go running three times a week, do HIT twice a week, and do spinning – I took it all up to give myself something else to focus on when I was on chemo. It was the kick up the backside I needed.

“When you’ve had a brush with any illness it can make you re-evaluate. Now I’m making the most of every minute.”

To donate, visit Julie’s website www.thejennerator.co.uk and click on ‘links’.