A busy mum and farmer’s wife is on a mission to help her mother and others suffering from an “utterly terrifying” disease that currently has no cure.

Emily Jones, from Norbury, near Bishop’s Castle, has been facing the daunting challenge of covering more than 500 kilometres – or 310 miles - doing a series of gruelling running and hiking events over the last few months.

The idea for the challenge grew from a family conversation with her businessman father Gary Smith. Both had a desire to help her mum and others suffering from the incurable Huntington’s Disease.

“Huntington’s Disease is a life limiting, debilitating and terminal illness that many people have unfortunately never heard about,” Emily said.

“Between April and September this year I have been completing a number of punishing challenges, racking up a total of over 500 kilometres in order to raise awareness of this utterly terrifying disease.”

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She started this mammoth task in April this year with a 10-kilometre run in her hometown of Bishop’s Castle. By June the challenges were coming thick and fast with Emily competing in the demanding Ultimate Half Triathlon followed by a hike along the spectacular Offa’s Dyke with friends and supporters, then she topped it off with a 2.5-kilometre swim.

In early October Emily and friends took on the infamous 62.9-kilometre Long Mynd Hike which takes place over the rugged Shropshire Hills and Welsh Marches.

Huntington’s Disease is an inherited condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, depression, stumbling and clumsiness, and mood swings. Although there is, as yet, no cure, people living with the disease can learn to manage symptoms more effectively to improve their quality of life.

People who are diagnosed with the disease can live with the faulty gene for years without symptoms. But if they do have the faulty gene, at some stage they will develop symptoms; doctors cannot tell when this will be. The disease gets gradually worse over time and is usually fatal after a period of up to 20 years.