Lisa Prior
Lisa Prior's Fundraising Page
Fundraising for Parkinson’s UK
Story
Thank you for visiting my Sierra Nevada Trek fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online. I am doing this trek for my mother Pat Berry who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease 7 years ago, and who responded by setting up a local branch of the PDS in her home town of Scarborough and is still Chairman today. I will be accompanied on the Trek by my lovely neighbour, Clare Constant, who has madly volunteered to take up the challenge with me.
Those of you who know me well, will know how unfit I was when I started training in September for this 42.5km trek through the Spanish mountainside from Trevelez to Canar (19.5km 1st day, 12km 2nd day and 11km 3rd day). My lovely friend Elaine was marching me to Hampton Court and back and round Burwood Park to get my fitness up to speed, but we have now joined a gym as it doesn't rain on a treadmill!
Clare and I met half of our fellow trekkers for an information/training day on 5th April. The youngest will be 19 and the oldest, 72. So while you were all watching the Grand National, we walked once round the perimeter of Richmond Park (7 miles) in the pouring rain. We have since walked up and down Box Hill (the only hill for miles around) twice, and been to Queen Elizabeth Park in Hampshire and will be back there on forthcoming weekends. No blisters so far, just the odd aching muscle so I am confident of achieving completion of the Trek.
With regard to other fundraising activity, we will be hosting an afternoon tea on Saturday 31st May with a raffle and holiday reading bring and buy book stall. Please email me for further information.
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me and The Parkinson's Disease Society will receive your money faster. An average research project costs £150 a day and could lead to a cure for Parkinson's disease. I am paying for the trip myself so that every penny I raise can go directly to the charity. So please sponsor me now and many thanks for your support!
STOP PRESS - May 2008 - Since starting training for the trek my cholesterol level has gone down from 6.0 to 4.8 - I'm almost healthy!
17 June 2008
Well I finally did it, only one blister but toes very sore. We were split into 4 groups based on ability - we were the 'Middle-aged women, lacking ultimate fitness but up for a challenge, and good at shouting "you can do it"' Group - so of course we were given the good-looking guide!
The weather was kind to us on the first 2 days but the third was blistering sun, but we were prepared for it.
I found it hard to breath at altitude going uphill on the first two days but by the third I was fully acclimatised and was looking forward to spending more time admiring the views. Unfortunately we ended up spending most of that day looking at ground level as the mountain path we were taking had been washed away in parts by torrential rain the week before.
We stayed in some lovely rustic hotels along the way but never long enough to appreciate them. I've never eaten so much, drunk so much water or laughed so much in my life.
Thank you so much for sponsoring me.