A DARLINGTON FC player and club volunteer are preparing to embark on a grueling challenge to cross the Lake District in 24 hours.

Quakers midfielder Adam Nicholls and fundraiser Joanne Cameron will paddle, cycle, walk, scramble and abseil their way across the national park next month.

Along the route, the pair will canoe across Windermere, England’s longest lake, and climb the country’s two highest peaks – Sca Fell and Scafell Pike.

The pair are raising money for Breathtakers – a charity which helps suffers of the rare condition, obliterative bronchiolitis.

Mrs Cameron’s teenage son, Adam, has the condition and his mother is the charity’s North-East representative.

She was inspired to attempt the Lakes Biggest Longest Challenge after the renowned mountaineer Kenton Cool gave a motivational speech at the charity’s annual conference last year.

She said: “He inspired me to do something that I would be able to look back on and say “I did that”.

“My brother was doing it with me, however he needs an operation on his knee and won’t have recovered in time.

“As a fundraiser for Darlington FC I am in contact with some of the players and Adam Nicholls agreed immediately to take my brother's place - he was up for the challenge and likes to do things for charity and the community.”

To sponsor the pair, visit justgiving.com/joanne-cameron2 and justgiving.com/adam-nicholls2