A team of colleagues have swapped the flatlands of Peterborough for the mountaintop! The team from The Leprosy Mission reached the summit of Snowdon at 1085 metres on Saturday afternoon [10 May]. Together they raised more than £2,000 to cure and transform the lives of people affected by leprosy.

The mountainous challenge was inspired by employee Rachel Harris who works as a Partnerships Advisor for the charity. After a significant wait, Rachel underwent a hip replacement in December 2023. She is now the proud owner of a titanium and ceramic hip, as well as an impressive scar. It was Rachel's journey with pain and disability that saw her increasingly empathetic with the people she helps in her day job. In turn this inspired her to work towards the momentous goal of scaling a mountain with her new bionic hip. Her colleagues were only too happy to help her with her training and achieve her goal.

Rachel said: "Before I had my op life had got very difficult. I would be asking myself whether I could walk to the village pub which previously took six minutes or whether I should drive. I could no longer walk my little dog which was just heartbreaking. I was living in constant pain and the way I saw life changed.

It did me good though as I became increasingly aware that not everyone enjoys a life of freedom. In my job I have had the privilege of travelling to India and Nepal to spend time with people affected by leprosy. These are people who often live with terrible irreversible disability because of the disease. They also have endured severe pain, both physical and emotional because of the stigma surrounding leprosy.

So my own journey through surgery and seeing the lives of people affected by leprosy left me wanting to do something to help. I am so fortunate that my mobility has been restored. With physiotherapy and exercise my journey of pain is happily at its end.

It was very emotional to reach the top of Snowdon with my incredible colleagues on Saturday. A year ago, I never thought such a feat would be possible! But thanks to them and my amazing family I was able to reach the summit and hopefully new heights for people affected by leprosy."