Danielle Daly will soon take on the steepest challenge of her life - Mount Kilimanjaro

IN March 2009, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles took the UK by surprise when he reached the summit of one of the world’s tallest mountains.

While many delighted in watching his trouble-filled challenge on television, few thought about attempting the gruelling feat ourselves.

However, two years on from Mr Moyles’ Red Nose Day Appeal and that is exactly what Islington resident, Danielle Daly, is planning to do.

The 24-year-old, of Drayton Park, Highbury, will attempt to scale the mountain later this year, in an effort to raise money for Leonard Cheshire Disability, a national disability charity.

At 5,985 metres, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, presenting even the most experienced climber with a tough and gruelling ascent. Despite its terrifyingly terrific height however, Danielle is eager to face the challenge head-on.

She said: “This is the first time that I have every done something like this so it is going to be a big challenge for me.There are four other people from my company that are doing the climb, so I have a lot of support.

“We all spur each other on and encourage each other which is great. We have started fundraising and have already reached a collective total of �13,000, so not too far from our �20,000 target.”

In March of this year, Danielle and her four teammates will travel to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania to begin their acclimatisation.

The climb is set to take between five and seven days and will push each climber to the peak of their physical fitness. A self-confessed lover of high-heels, Danielle explained that she has enjoyed embracing a more active lifestyle.

She said: “People consider me more of a high-heel person rather than a hiking boot person. It’s the first time that I have ever done anything like this, so it is a little bit daunting. I have been doing lots of pilates and yoga to keep myself fit and I’ve really been enjoying it.

“When I first told people that I would be doing it, there were a lot of raised eyebrows and I think people thought that I would pull out before it came to actually doing the climb. I can’t wait to reach that summit and prove a few people wrong.”

l To sponsor Danielle, you can visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DanielleDaly