A woman who was left struggling to walk weeks before her wedding is preparing to walk over 30 miles to raise funds for charity.

Clare Gauntlett spent years suffering from unexplained pain, fatigue and general malaise that left her unable to move normally and restricted her from everyday activities.

After seven years of misery, Clare was finally diagnosed with chronic spinal condition ankylosing spondylitis in September last year - one month before her wedding.

The long-term condition affects the spine and other areas of the body which become inflamed.

As well as causing pain, stiffness and swelling, the inflammation can damage affected areas of the body and in some cases leads to some individual bones of the spine fusing, which over time can seriously restrict movement.

27-year-old Clare, of Jackwood Way in Tunbridge Wells said: “Whenever I used to get the pain I took pain killers and tried to deal with it but sometimes it really got me down. When I was diagnosed it was kind of a relief, finally I knew what was wrong with me.”

Clare’s pain became so bad that she was unable to walk in the silver heels she had bought for her wedding, and went down the road to a shop to buy a pair of grey Converse trainers which she proudly walked down the aisle in.

She added: “I just couldn’t walk in the heels, my dress was grey so I thought hey, the Converse will go well.

"I could walk better by the wedding but I wore them anyway so I was completely comfortable, it was quite a laugh to be honest.”

There are no obvious external symptoms that can be seen in someone with Clare’s condition, so often she has to explain her difficulties to colleagues and friends.

She said: “It’s an invisible condition, so unless you knew I had it you probably wouldn’t be able to tell. When I’m in pain I just tend to limp quite badly so it might look like I’ve just hurt my leg.

“Some days I get extreme fatigue. I used to get a lot of jokey comments asking whether I’d had a late night or been out, but really I had eight hours sleep and still woke up feeling drained.”

Clare, who has lost 7st since originally being told her weight was causing her back problems, suffers from restricted movement and pain especially in her middle and lower back and hips, but will be facing a gruelling 50km walk from Runnymede to Henley on Saturday, September 13.

She has estimated the walk will take her just under 11 hours and all money raised will go to NASS, the only registered charity in the UK dedicated to providing support and information to people with this condition.

Staff at the Barn on Mount Pleasant Road in Tunbridge Wells, where Clare and her 30-year-old husband Nick got married last year, have organised a fundraising evening on Thursday, September 11 in a bid to raise money for the cause.

There will be a ‘Night at the movies’ themed disco, and a raffle offering the top prize of one nights stay at a luxury hotel.

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/clare-g-TPC2014 or for more information about the fundraising evening visit: http://www.barn-pub-rest.co.uk/Charity.html