I am an avid runner and a frequent visitor to northern Ethiopia. I therefore decided to combine both passions by running long-distances in support of the Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service which provides badly needed healthcare to the inhabitants of the Simien Mountains at no cost.

The race I am aiming to complete at the end of August - the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc - is 170km long with 10,000 m of vertical ascent. That is the equivalent to completing 4 back-to-back marathons, and then climbing higher than Mount Everest from sea level (and then back down). All this in under 48 hours.