A woman with a life-threatening condition is bracing herself for a trek over three mountains.

And Joanna Jerden will find the trek tougher with the recent cold snap, which will be far more severe on Yorkshire mountain tops.

Mrs Jerden told the Mercury: “I am excited but also quite nervous, particularly with the recent cold weather in Kent, which will be much worse in the north, especially on the peaks.

“We will no doubt have some snow and ice up there so it will be particularly challenging.”

The temperature in Dover was as low as 6C yesterday morning (Thursday).

Mrs, Jerden, 49, of River, is this Sunday taking part in the Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge for the National Amyloidosis Centre in London.

She has the incurable and potentially protein-related condition, which killed Northern Ireland terrorist-turned politician Martin McGuinness last month.

Mrs Jerden will try to complete the trek within 12 hours, covering 24 miles and including 5,200ft of climbing.

She will do it with 10 others including her husband Stuart and friends Nigel and Sheila Bodell from River and Phil and Angela Dunford from St Margaret's-at-Cliffe.

Other participants include Thirusha Lane and David Hutt of the NAC.

Mrs Jerden will find the challenge harder because her condition causes excessive tiredness, restricts her diet and affects feeling in her feet and hands.

This makes her unsteady and causes nerve pain.

The cause to combat the disease was further supported by a fundraising competition run by the art group Dover smART last Friday at the town My Gallery.

Mrs Jerden attended that event and prizewinners were Tony Coade in the adults section and Jessica Tanton, nine, in the children’s section.

Joanna Jerden is a chartered surveyor who works for the estates team at the Port of Dover and employers were among those donating prizes.

Amyloidosis is a group of rare but serious conditions where abnormal protein deposits throughout the body.

It can shut down organs, muscles and the nervous system and cause heart and kidney failure.

You can still help Mrs Jerden’s cause by visiting her group website justgiving.com/fundraising/Thirusha-Lane.