Category: Fundraising

Relief at ending a gruelling charity walk turned to sadness for fitness enthusiasts Mike Mason and Sam Maguire.

The day after the pair had completed the 35-mile Gritstone Trail they learned that Faith Mitchell, wife of their close friend Ash, had died of cancer sarcoma, aged 33.

Faith was a patient at East Cheshire Hospice and was the inspiration behind their challenge which has already raised more than £2,500 for the Hospice.

Mike is head coach at Silk Fitness Therapy which is part of the Hospice’s 500 Club in which members pledge to raise £500 a year for three years.

Mike said: “We heard the tragic news about Faith on the afternoon following our walk which became quite poignant in the end.

“Faith’s illness was diagnosed three years ago and she fought until the end. She’ll be missed terribly and was well looked after by the Hospice.”

Silk gym owners Fabio and Kate Mazzieri and nutritionist Bex Ward joined the pair for the second half of the walk.

The hilly journey from Disley to Kidsgrove took more than 14 hours and is usually spread over three days.

Fellow gym member Carole Barough accompanied Mike and Sam for the first leg of the trip.

Mike said: “It was tough, especially as it was a hot day, but good fun. I realised early on my bag was too heavy and luckily gym members Fran Wilkie and Jo Prescott met us and took some things to lighten the load.

“Sam has done a lot of cycling and has lots of stamina, but neither of us has walked that far before and it was quite surreal near the end.

“We didn’t have much more to give, but knowing Fabio had a cool box full of cold beers in his car at the finish got us through it.

“Faith was our main motivation for the challenge, but Silk is also a proud member of the 500 Club so that was another reason to raise funds.”

* To sponsor them visit justgiving.com/fundraising/SFT.

Journey’s end….from left, Katie and Fabio Mazzieri, Sam Maguire, Mike Mason and Bex Ward after completing the Gritstone Trail.  

Sisters Katie and Sophie Richards used their new Fitbits to spur them on in a fundraising challenge.

The girls reached their daily target of steps to raise £290 sponsorship for East Cheshire Hospice.

Their grandad Stephen Jones died of bowel cancer at the Hospice in 1998, aged 47, while late great grandad Gordon Oldfield, also from Macclesfield, was treated there as well.

Katie (9) and Sophie (8) warmed up for their month-long challenge by walking or running 5,000 steps a day for the first week.

Their target increased to 6,000 steps a day the following week and the last two weeks they covered 7,000 steps, raising the total to 10,000 for the last day.

Mum Emma Jones said: “We got them a Fit bit each as an incentive and they wanted to do something for charity since the Hospice is part of our family.

“The care it provided when my dad and grandad passed away was amazing and we wanted the girls to take the money to the Hospice so they could see what it does.”

“They’re proud of their achievement and want to thank everyone for their sponsorship.”

 

Sophie (left) and Katie Richards during their step challenge.

Rachel Wild after completing her Lake District marathon.

 

The memory of her grandad inspired Rachel Wild on a gruelling marathon run across Lake District mountains.

The trainee advanced clinical practitioner has already raised £1,000 for East Cheshire Hospice where Michael Palmer, from Macclesfield, was a patient.

Michael (81) died of cancer last September after a career in television engineering which included a spell living in Vietnam.

 

Michael Palmer

 

Rachel climbed more than 6,000 feet –  equivalent to scaling Ben Nevis – as she ran almost 28 miles over nine and a half hours on the Trail Pursuit course near Lake Windermere.

She said: “I was scrambling up summits where there were obviously no paths and on a hot day it was brutal. The descents were just as horrendous and you needed to be resilient. I’m tough minded but found it very hard.

“My grandad was my best friend and we were lucky to get a place for him at the Hospice. The care and attention he received was incredible and the staff were amazing.

“It meant I could be his granddaughter and spend those last few days with him. I sat and read one of his favourite books Alice in Wonderland to him and we listened to classical music.

“He was peaceful, comfortable and pain free. I wish everyone could have that experience and know that’s not always the case.

“Grandad was the most amazing, intelligent kind and funny man who had high morals. He always believed in doing the right thing to help someone if he could and loved magical fairy stories and childhood wonder.”

 

Michael Palmer with his dog Archie.

 

Rachel, an Army reservist, found the Trail Pursuit challenge harder than a marathon she completed in stifling heat and humidity in Sierra Leone in 2015.

“The first and last few miles along the Cumbrian Way were fairly flat but the mountains, including Bowfell, the ninth highest summit in England, required a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”

Rachel has already reached double her initial fundraising target of £500. She said: “I think my grandad would have been so proud of me and anyone who sponsors me is making a difference to someone’s end-of-life care.”

* To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/rachel-wild6