Silverdale woman faces up to ski 'monster' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Silverdale woman faces up to ski 'monster'

3:40pm Wednesday 11th January 2012 in Lancaster and Morecambe news By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

A BRAVE Multiple Sclerosis sufferer will ski down the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest three times in as many days in a gruelling challenge in March.

Olly Keith, from Silverdale, who was diagnosed with MS two years ago, will tackle the ‘Monsterski’ challenge at Tignes – on the French-Italian border – in March.

Monsterski invites people to take on a vertical descent of 90,000 feet over three days – that is like skiing down Mount Everest each day.

The 50-year-old consultant orthodontist with the Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust, is aiming to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Trust.

She said “Before I was diagnosed with MS I was a keen skiier and when was looking at ways of raising money for the trust online I saw the Monsterski.

“The event has been running for a few years and I had thought about doing it last year. But when I looked at it again in the summer I decided to sign up.”

MS is a progressively debilitating illness, which affects around 100,000 people in the UK, and has already hindered her training for the epic task.

She said: “I used to ski well but went down recently to an indoor centre in Manchester and found it incredibly difficult.”

Just before Christmas Olly went on a skiing holiday to see how she might fare in the challenge and managed 9,500ft in one day.

Ans she said she would go into the challenge with the motive ‘no guts, no glory’.

She added: “We will be going full pelt from first thing in the morning to the last thing at night with a brief stop for lunch so I realise the task ahead.

“However, I am really determined and want to do what I can while I am still able.”

To find out more and to sponsor Olly, visit virginmoney giving.com/OllyKeith or call the MS Trust on 01462 476707.

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