On hearing the news that she had won, Avril told Adoption-net: "I was just shocked - but what an honour and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can't tell you how excited and thrilled I am. I'm just floating about on Cloud Nine.

"Nothing like this has ever happened to happened to me. I told my mother and she said: 'You deserve it - all this work you do for children.' She feels I don't get anything back but I do. It is very rewarding work."

She and her husband, Ron, who have four children of their own, are currently caring for a 21-month-old toddler born with special needs, including a life-threatening heart condition.

Because of the complexity of his needs, she has been looking after him practically non-stop for more than a year which at times has been "pretty hard going", she said.

However, despite the hard work, the reward for Avril has been to see him improve and develop. "He is absolutely adorable," she said.

As well has fostering, Avril and Ron have also adopted a son, who they had fostered and returned to them permanently after his adoption by another family faltered. "We were there to pick up the pieces," she said.

In her application, she said she felt she had been in training for going to China by the constant climbing of two flights of stairs at her home. To read her full application click here.

Her adventure begins on March 25 when she will join about 20 other people taking part in the trek which is expected to raise about £20,000 for the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering.

Also benefiting is a UK-based fostering project in China, Care for Children.

During the trip, Avril will take part in five treks through spectacular landscapes, including parts of China's Great Wall with visits to ancient temples and villages rarely visited by foreign tourists.

Adoption-net will be telling you more about Avril, the highs and lows of her life as a foster carer and adoptive mother next week.

Scores of people have applied for Adoption-net's sponsorship for the trek in China.

We have received applications from a wide-ranging group of people including adoptive parents, journalists, people who were adopted or whose relatives were adopted, foster carers, social workers and people who have no direct connection with adoption or fostering but just like doing charity work and fancy a trip to China.

We would like to thank all those to applied for the sponsorship. There were some very good entries and choosing the winner was enormously difficult.

In the coming weeks we hope to feature some of those entries that came close as well as take a look at the charities who stand to benefit from this trek.