100 miles for Hilary

I wanted to do a fundraising challenge in memory of Hilary Craft, who was the Chairwoman of Action Against Cancer, and an inspirational mentor to me. Hilary was just amazing, she was kind and always gave me great advice. I really miss her.

With the pandemic, I was limited to what I could do within the restrictions, and so I decided to walk 100 miles within 60 days in the local area. I set up a fundraising page on Facebook, which was quick to do and made it easy to share with friends and family. My husband Sam did a lot of the walks with me, helped me fundraise and has been my number one supporter. My target was originally £250, but I had raised over £1,000 before I'd even finished!

I hadn't realised before I started what a boost this challenge would be for me. It was really great to get out in the fresh air and do different walks with a friend or family member. During covid, this has been a brilliant way to catch up and talk about everything going on in our lives.

There have been a lot of laughs too. On one walk with my sister-in-law we had to run through knee-high puddles in the park, and it felt like being kids again! I’m definitely fitter too, and am planning to keep walking.

Just like always, Hilary inspired me to do something good. I'm so happy to have raised over £1,000 for the charity I know she loved so much.

Steph Barry