A 15-year-old girl from Kidderminster took on a rollercoaster marathon last weekend to raise money for Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

Clarissa Chamberlain completed 21 laps of the Alton Towers’ ride Galactica on Saturday, September 16 in honour of her 25-year-old sister, Antonia, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in December 2021 and needed emergency surgery.

The teenager decided to use the pair’s love of theme parks for the challenge after her sister feared she would never ride a rollercoaster again due to having an ileostomy bag fitted. 

Her mum Karen, 43, of Coventry Street, said: “The two of them have always loved theme parks so Antonia’s biggest fear was never being able to enjoy them again.

“The bag makes it difficult to wear a harness and Galactica is a ride that Antonia particularly struggles with as she has to lie down and needs to wear a protective shield.” 

Kidderminster Shuttle: Clarissa has raised the money in honour of her sister AntoniaClarissa has raised the money in honour of her sister Antonia (Image: Karen Chamberlain)

Ms Chamberlain has already exceeded her £350 target and despite initial fears, her sister managed to join her for 11 laps of the ride.

Her mum added: “Her initial target was £75 but she met that in no time so raised it to £350 after seeing someone else do a similar challenge. 

“She is absolutely thrilled that she exceeded the target and couldn’t believe that she’s had that much support for just doing something she loves.

“We are all really proud of Clarissa and everything she has achieved with this fundraiser. Her sister has been especially touched that she’s chosen this charity in her honour, and we just want Clarissa to know how much we all appreciate it.”

The teenager is already planning another fundraiser with her brother and hopes to complete even more for the charity in the future to help raise awareness for the condition.

To donate to the fundraiser visit www.justgiving.com/page/ccs-challenge