Annie Brooks is an award-winning blogger, who has been on a mission to raise awareness of her condition. She has epilepsy in the form of complex, simple and absence seizures. She was only diagnosed in 2012 after years of unknowingly suffering – she can be wide awake, but essentially, experiencing something ridiculously scary and unable to communicate.

Before lockdown, she started doing 12 challenges in 12 months, to increase awareness of epilepsy. "My story is unique, and I hope inspirational, in that despite having a condition like this, you can still live a full active life, including doing triathlons," she says. 

In this episode, she speaks about the challenges she did and which ones were the hardest, as well as why the mental challenge was sometimes more difficult than the physical ones. 

CHAPTER MARKERS:
1:16 : Inspiration behind the challenge
3:26 : Preparation
6:03 : The physical challenges that pushed me
8:51 : The mental challenges to get through
11:05 : Finishing the 12 in 12 challenge
13:57 : Raising awareness of epilepsy
15:34 : Advice for others
20:02 : What does defiant optimism mean to you?
20:58 : What's next for Annie?

Follow Annie's journey: https://www.talesofanniebean.com/
Support Epilepsy Society: https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/