A MUM who suffers from a debilitating condition and her two daughters are putting their best feet forward this month to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Gemma Thomlinson and her girls, Khloe and Holly, are clocking up the miles as part in the Race to the Base campaign that challenges participants to choose from three distances, which you can walk, jog, run or ride.

Gemma, who is part of Team Lee, has challenged herself to a maximum of 32 miles to be carried out across the month – 32 miles is the distance it takes the North Air Ambulance critical care team to fly back to their base at Teesside from the RVI Hospital in Newcastle.

The challenge is doubly hard for Gemma, who suffers from fibromyalgia, which is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body and also causes a person to feel extreme tiredness and fatigue.

Gemma who is a teaching assistant at Upperby Primary School explained: “It is very challenging. What are considered ‘normal’ things for others are difficult for me. I have my days where I don’t want to move – or can’t. But I’m determined just to push through it and raise what money I can.

"I’ve always been one up for fundraising, in the past. I’ve organised a lot of charity events, local things, at the school or church. But, I just find the Great North Air Ambulance is in need of a lot of support at the moment. They are so important.

“When I noticed they were doing their Race to the Base, I didn’t really think about it. I just wanted to do it. I spoke to the kids and they were excited about it and wanted to do it with me.”

Gemma’s two girls accompany their mum on the many walks they have done, and have yet to accomplish, on the days Gemma drops them off at school.

“It is boring walking without my girls, which I never thought I’d say,” said Gemma.

"They often stop to look at the animals in the fields and on the footpaths near their home in Longtown."

Gemma recently put out a video on her Facebook profile, thanking friends and family for their support for her cause. Her fundraising page on JustGiving is currently at £85, just £15 shy of their £100 target.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who has donated so far,” she said.

With two weeks left to go until the challenge is over, Gemma is optimistic she’ll get there.