Penny is a survivor. Her life has been about overcoming disasters and discovering new opportunities.

In her mid-20s, her fiancé of six years was killed in a car crash. She had to pick herself up and find a new direction. The Royal Navy was the answer for a superb career of over 20 years: one of eight women Commanders, first woman naval barrister, international travel and making changes to the lives of thousands. And then she lost her sight.

Blindness ended her military ambitions. Time to re-group and find new fulfilment in the civilian world. Unashamedly optimistic, she created Disability Dynamics to help other disabled people to get back to work. Nearly 20 years of intense job satisfaction, working from the heights of Government to the reality of the people we served, was the lasting reward although the OBE and Honorary doctorate gave her the chance to dress up!

The next cloud: DWP cut the support she needed to work so that came to a crumbling end. While the dispute continues, reinvention was needed once more. Cooking seemed more familiar than Paralympics as her new direction. Within months, she’d won an international prize for blind people that funded the global tour to work with professional chefs and home-cooks: over 100 videos and recipes. Life was wonderful with new opportunities ready and waiting.

Injuries from a major car accident in France brought everything to an unexpected halt. Lucky to be even alive, let alone walking and talking, the recovery has taken a long time but with many super high spots. The physical and mental fallout will continue but she's making progress: writing, speaking, online cooking demonstrations and more. Battling on, resolute about silver linings and thoroughly undaunted, she's got the will and she's finding her way.