Two years ago Gwyneth Hopkins set out on a journey she would never have believed was possible, In 1998, Gwyneth was rushed into hospital suffering from what doctors thought at the time was a mini stroke but was later diagnosed as the debilitating illness, ME. Bedridden for long periods , Gwyneth was at times so weak that she could only spend five minutes out of every hour out of bed. Miraculously, with the help of complementary therapies and a determined willpower, her health slowly began to improve. "It was hard work and I was lucky enough to have the support of my family and an excellent District Nurse," she said. In June 2006, Gwyneth was well enough to complete on a 230 mile walk from Port Talbot in South Wales to the North coast, raising £2,724 for MERGE, an M.E. charity. This week, Gwyneth is donning her walking boots once again - this time with the aim of trekking 120 miles from White Leaf Oak, a little hamlet south of the Malvern hills, to Machynlleth and on to the coast. Gwyneth, who lives in the Forest of Dean and works in Monmouth, will be walking alone and carrying a rucksack weighing approximately 12 kilos, which will include a sleeping bag and a small tent. She plans to sleep on small farm sites or on open hills. The charity she has chosen to support this time is "Get Kids Going, a charity that provides sports wheelchairs for children. "I spent a lot of time in a wheelchair myself when I had M.E. so I can empathise with these children," Gwyneth said. "I'm doing this partly as a personal challenge because it's good to be able to walk again and also to raise awareness for M.E. because I think M.E. sufferers are the forgotten people, often living between their own four walls with very little support or understanding. "I was told I had very little hope of making a complete recovery and I want others to realise they should never give up. " Gwyneth now has a support line for M.E. sufferers and carers and works part-time as a complementary therapist as well as a having a part-time job in a coffee shop at a sports club. Anyone wanting to contact Gwyneth can do so via her websitehttp://www.mefatigue.co">www.mefatigue.co.