In August 2025, we will be walking 73 miles (likely closer to 80 by the time we get lost!) from the bottom to the top of Cumbria, covering the entire length of the Lake District along the way! We will begin our walk bright and early in Ulverston on Saturday 23rd August, eventually reach our end point (hopefully🤞🏻) of Carlisle on Friday 29th August giving us 7 days to complete the challenge.

We are completing this walk in memory of our amazing Marie: Wife, mum, sister, auntie, friend, colleague and an overall inspiring, selfless, caring and simply one in a million individual.

Sadly, we lost Marie very unexpectedly aged just 55 to an aggressive brain tumour. Having returned from holiday just a few days before, Marie was admitted to Pinderfields hospital and only three days post-diagnosis she suffered a bleed causing her to become very ill very quickly. Despite being given a prognosis of hours to days, she battled hard for 11 long weeks and made us all laugh, smile, cry and just about everything in-between along the way... Most of all, she made us proud.

Marie had retired only 6 months prior to this devastating news, after working in the NHS for 37 years as a learning disability nurse and safeguarding leader. The commitment to her job and the difference her dedicated service made to so many lives was one of her biggest achievements and something she was exceedingly proud of. As such, the money we are raising will be used to build a project within the hospital (discussions still in progress!) dedicated in her name which will continue benefiting and enhancing the experience of the patients she cared so deeply for.

The Cumbria Way is a special choice for two big reasons:

1: The Lake District was Marie's absolute favourite- Whether it be the banks of the River Eden, the tops of some of England's highest fells or even raiding the shop floors of Ambleside, Marie was in her absolute element.

2: Marie fought hard alongside family and friends for 73 long days post diagnosis, so it feels only too fitting to complete this 73 mile long trail in her memory... One mile for each day she said 'up yours' (followed by wide eyes and a sarcastic hand gesture if she had anything to do with it!)

We would love your support to help reach our fundraising target of £7500 and all donations of any size mean the world! We would also be incredibly grateful if you could share our cause either on social media or directly with family and friends...every bit of support really helps and is appreciated by us all❤️

Thank you,

Marie's Family 🌈