Story

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

Mum & I are delighted to have completed the Cotstwold Challenge Ultra with Ed, on the 21-22 June this year - 100km over two days, including 2,250m elevation! I walked the full 100km with Ed and Mum joined us for the final 50km....the garmin measured 56km (not 53km) on day one and 49.5km (not 47km) on day two - and when you're walking these long distances every km counts!!

Day one was brutal - we started the walk at 7.30am and it was already 19c. The temperature rose to 31c by the mid-afternoon. Coupled with the neverending hills it was certainly a challenge! Ed and I completed it in 11hrs 50mins. There were some lovely locals out with water and even a hosepipe cooling competitors down - the hosepipe was a highlight!!

Day two was a lot kinder with about half the elevation, a strong breeze, and only rising to 24c in the afternoon. It helped to have Mum's fresh legs helping set the pace (she was outpacing many half her age). Also the medics who patched up some painful blisters that started to slow me down. We completed it in 11hrs 50mins, Ed and I ranked 44/45 out of 77 who completed the 2-day 100km (many didn't turn up for day two). Mum ranked 63/105 (I know she could have gone faster, if it wasn't for the sore feet of her walking buddies).

It was a brilliant challenge, and really brought home how privileged we are to have access to such beautiful countryside - and spaces to train; knowing the disabled children and young people Gympanzees support do not.

So we are delighted to be raising money for this incredible cause and can't wait to see the UK's first fully accessible exercise, play, and social centre open next year to give these people and their families a safe and inclusive space to exercise, play and socialise! Whilst we've smashed our original target, we'd love to raise £1500.

Why?

Within an hour of Bristol, there are 90,000 children and young people with disabilities (and over 1.5 million in the UK). 77% of them cannot access regular leisure facilities, so can’t play, exercise, or socialise in the same way as their peers and are twice as likely as non-disabled children to be lonely. Not only that, 72% of parents with a disabled child suffer mental health issues as a result.

Steph and her team at Gympanzees have been supporting these families for the last 8 years with pop-up events, road shows and an equipment lending library, generally during school holidays.

This funding will not only sustain their current essential services, but also aims to cater for people (0-25 years) with sensory, physical, learning difficulties, SEN and any mild to profound disability and will be open 364 days a year.

What does this mean for the families?

The facility could attract up to 200,000 people from England and Wales positively impacting their health and wellbeing and reducing their social isolation.

Your support is invaluable...

If you can help, please support this amazing cause through a donation to my JustGiving page – every penny counts! (A BIG thank you from us too!)

If you’d like to know more about the incredible work Gympanzees do please visit https://www.gympanzees.org.

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