For my DofE Physical I relearnt how to walk. At the age of 16 I became a wheelchair user. I have a disability called Ehler's Danlos Syndrome, a rare condition that affects your whole body; my joints dislocate easily, I had high spasticity in my legs and have many other comorbidities. After four years of being a wheelchair user I decided to start my DofE Gold Award through Scouting. Around the same time, I was waiting for Neurosurgery to implant a Baclofen pump which is attached to my spine to reduce spasticity, so I decided to start my DofE Physical section just before my surgery. I started off with doing physiotherapy shortly before my surgery, I then progressed to doing neuro-rehabillitation physiotherapy shortly after surgery over the first lockdown. I started practicing walking with a walking stick around our local area, walking slightly longer distances each day. Soon I was able to do part of the walk without using my walking stick. I started cycling for the first time in 5 years doing longer and longer distances each time; I carried on pushing myself with physio, pilates, walking and cycling and by the end of the first lockdown I could walk for 30 minutes unaided and cycled 11 miles in a day to the local beach and back. I've continued with the gym, have started rock climbing again and have built up the muscles around my joints which is slowly making them a bit more stable. Now one year later I can walk unaided for an hour, I've reduced the medication I've been taking from at worse 72 tablets in a day down to 8-21, I'm in a lot less pain and can do so much more. I'm working towards being able to work again, I'm training for my DofE canoeing expedition, I'm going on a rock climbing trip in October, and I've applied to go on a trip to build an education centre in Malawi. 18 months ago I was in a wheelchair, two days ago I ran for the first time in 5 years. Without DofE and the NHS I wouldn't be where I am now, DofE has really motivated me to keep going. Thank you