Book excerpt: Checking in at a tiny 5 foot and a massive 23 stone in weight, broadcast journalist Teena Gates was staring death in the face when a doctor's grim diagnosis shocked her into a decision that would change her life. A little more than a year later she had lost a massive 12 stone (more than half her body weight) and had climbed to Everest base camp and beyond to reach the summit of Kala Pattar Mountain and Island Peak in the Himalaya, topping out with a technical climb to 20,305ft. One Foot in Front of The Other is the story of discovering that you are ill, realising that you can change your life and grabbing health and joy against all the odds. It's the motivational, inspirational journey of a young woman who was resigned to leaving life behind until a spark lit up a desire to break free. It's how that passion was fuelled by a wish to say thanks to the world and share a positive message in a time of gloom. It's a story of pain, of hope, of friendship and of how far you can go by putting one foot in front of another.