Karen Parry
Karen's Swim, Cycle and Run in 2015
Fundraising for Grace House North East
Story
I plan to undertake a
triathlon of events during 2015 to raise money for Grace House. Ongoing
fundraising is still vitally needed to enable Grace House to offer regular,
planned overnight short break care to children and young people with complex
disabilities, health needs and life-limiting conditions. These breaks enable
children and young people to spend time with their friends, to build their
confidence spending time away from home, and to try new activities. They also
provide their families with a deserved break from caring, where they can spend
time with siblings and re-charge their batteries
I will be swimming 1 mile in the cold, dark water of Lake Windermere in June, cycling 130 miles on the Coast to Coast path from Cumbria to Tyneside in September, and then completing the triathlon of events 5 days later by doing the 10k Kielder run.
I enjoy cycling, swimming and running but each of these events will push me out of my comfort zone, being more extreme than anything I usually do. I regularly swim a mile at Hetton pool, but spending up to an hour in the cold of Lake Windermere, contending with the weather, waves and worries about what might be in the water beneath me, will make it a lot more challenging!I punctured my spinal cord last year which stopped me doing any physical activity for months, followed by a long period of recovery. This will be a personal achievement if I can complete these three events, and raise money for Grace House at the same time.