ONE of them used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day. The other has no hands or lower legs and only one lung.

But something that Jackie Dierikx and Corinne Hutton have in common is a determination to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The best pals will be tackling the ascent up Africa’s highest mountain for Corinne’s charity Finding Your Feet (FYF), which she founded after losing her limbs to sepsis and pneumonia.

READ MORE: Lochwinnoch charity founding amputee gets set for climbing challenge

Jackie, a mum-of-three from Johnstone, wanted to do the climb to support Corinne but admits there were plenty more reasons for taking on the challenge.

“Before the end of March, I had never set foot in a gym,” said 55-year-old Jackie. “I was smoking 20 cigarettes a day but I wanted to do this to support Corinne, who I’ve been friends with for about 20 years.

“I got a personal trainer, who has given me his time for free. He told me I had to stop smoking immediately and not vape or use patches.

“I tried to give up once before and lasted three weeks but, somehow, I’ve done it this time.

“There must be something in you when you’ve got a focus. I couldn’t let down the people who have sponsored me.

“Finding Your Feet makes such a difference to people’s lives. My brother John had to have his fingers amputated following an accident and my other brother died of sepsis.”

The Gazette:

Jackie Dierikx (right) and Corinne Hutton are looking forward to the challenge 

Jackie’s brother Tony died of sepsis after he was paralysed from the waist down in a car crash. He gained sepsis from not being turned over often enough in his hospital bed.

Corinne, from Lochwinnoch, founded FYF in 2013 on the back of contracting sepsis.

The charity helps to make sure amputees can retain their independence, rather than becoming isolated.

Mum-of-one Corinne, who also had most of her lung removed last year due to infection, said she has always wanted to climb Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.

She added: “If I have to crawl to the summit, I will. I said to my dad after my amputations that I wouldn’t be ‘disabled’ and I’m sticking to that.

“I’m lucky to have an amazing group of trekkers with me, all of whom are raising money for Finding Your Feet.

READ MORE: Sepsis survivors hail ‘brilliant’ success of awareness campaign in Scotland

“It’s a trip of a lifetime and a chance to help amputees get the support they need. Who wouldn’t fancy it?”

The pair will set off with the rest of the FYF fundraising team on Saturday and begin their ascent of Kilimanjaro on Monday.