A MALVERN woman who broke her back, leaving her unable to walk for two years, has conquered the UK’s highest mountain.

Annette Francis, aged 49, broke her back in two places in 1999, but on Saturday, May 21, she successfully battled atrocious weather to reach the top of Ben Nevis – and was the third fastest up and down the mountain in her party. This week, she said she was delighted to have risen to the challenge and was looking forward to further challenges.

The Sherrards Green Road resident said: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. My grandmother was Scottish and my mother had her ashes scattered at the foot of the mountain.”

She did the climb in a party of 104 people organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, and raised £1,500 for the cause, thanks to the generosity of friends and family.

But it was the climb itself that was the main attraction for her.

“It was cold and wet, and as you got near the top, the snow was knee deep. Visibility was zero, but I loved it,” she said.

“I started out at 8.30am and was in a bath back at my hotel by 1.30pm. I wasn’t trying to be the fastest, so I was really surprised when I got back and found I was only the third back down out of my party.”

She said that the same dedication that has helped her do the climb was important in helping her overcome her serious injuries.

She broke her back falling down the stairs at what was then her home in Bromyard.

She said: “To this day, I can’t remember the accident, but I fell and landed on my head, causing head injuries and a broken back in two places. For two years I couldn’t walk and was extremely depressed, but I kept going. It was bad for my children but they helped me get through it.”

Eventually, she recovered to the extent that she was able to start working again and now leads a normal life.

“The important thing is to have the determination to keep going. I wouldn’t let it defeat me. I didn’t even accept disability benefits because I thought that if I started to rely on that money, I wouldn’t be motivated to move on.

“I faced up to the challenge, and that’s how I climbed the mountain as well. Now I’ll be looking out for other challenges.”