A 268-mile trek along the mountainous spine of England was a mere stroll in the park for Abigail Mann, a 37-year-old solicitor at St Albans firm Alan Mann & Co. Nothing daunted her, not even twisting her ankle days before setting off and having to walk the entire route with a taped-up foot. ‘Even the weather was kind,’ she says. ‘It only rained half the 17 days we were walking. But it did get a bit windy on the Cheviots – we could hardly stand up.’

Mann is clearly no shrinking violet. She has climbed in the Himalayas, Norway, the Alps and Scotland – not bad for someone needing regular treatment for an immune-deficiency condition.

She took up the Pennine Way Challenge 2008 to raise money for three charities, including the Primary Immunodeficiency Association – a cause close to her heart. She has raised £4,000 so far, but hopes to collect still more. For more information, please visit: www.pia.org.uk