Anniversary couple Antony and Sally Brown visited Conwy parkrun during their epic 6,000-mile coastal walk around the UK as they fundraise for several worthy charities.
*Antony and Sally Brown (*above) are pictured above at the Conwy parkrun.
Anniversary couple Antony and Sally Brown visited Conwy parkrun during their epic 6,000-mile coastal walk around the UK as they fundraise for several worthy charities.
Report and photo by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com
www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk
Ultra-distance walking couple Antony and Sally Brown from Bude in Cornwall were the surprise guests last Saturday at the Conwy 5k parkrun prior to recommencing their epic 6,000-mile charity walk around the entire coastline of the UK for the RNLI, Cornwall Air Ambulance, and Parkrun.
The friendly fitness enthusiasts contacted the event organisers a couple of days before and received generous support and praise on the day from the two-hundred-plus entrants, with Antony, from the Newquay and Par Athletics Club, even running the course, and recording an excellent time of just 24 minutes and 5 seconds to finish in 54th place overall.
After visiting this popular windswept venue, the pair, who were also celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary, confirmed that their extreme challenge first began in May, and will take them a year to complete, with the intention of trying to raise £50,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), £20,000 for their local charity the Cornwall Air Ambulance, and £5,000 for Parkrun.
And during their walk, they will also be visiting RNLI Stations and attending local parkruns every Saturday, wherever possible.
Years of planning involved.
Antony admitted it had taken them many years to plan this journey, and said they are currently travelling around the country in a motorhome, and walking as many miles a day as they can safely manage, adding: “We are walking to enjoy this challenge, and when we get tired, we stop and rest!”
They eventually set off from their home in Bude, Cornwall, on 15th May, and hope to return by 22nd May 2024, and before they are both aged 60!
Celebrating their 60th year.
The couple said: “What better way to celebrate our 60th year than a twelve month walk around Britain? We first had the idea when we walked the Cornish coastal path in 2015 and we have been planning this epic journey for the past three years. We couldn't just do the walk for 'fun,' as that seemed wrong, so we decided to raise funds for charity along the way.”
“Our amazing journey will take us twelve-months, as we travel clockwise through England, Wales, and Scotland. We don't plan to take any rest days and hope our main efforts will raise £50,000 for the RNLI, and others.”
Explaining why they have decided to primarily fundraise for the RNLI they explained: “Too many people are drowning, so now, more than ever, we need the RNLI’s help. And as a charity, the RNLI depends entirely on our donations so that they can continue saving lives and keep us, and our loved ones safe.
“RNLI lifesavers are our lifeline. They’re the lifeboat crews who provide a 24-hour search and rescue services right around the UK and Ireland. The lifeguards keep watch on 240 of the busiest beaches in the UK and Channel Islands. And the RNLI safety teams and educators working tirelessly to stop people getting into trouble in the first place.”
Antony and Sally further explained: “As this is a coastal walk, we also wanted to support two particular charities that help to save lives amongst coastal communities. We chose the RNLI as our National Charity - here is the link for donations to them: RNLI Donations. And our local charity is the Cornwall Air Ambulance, so you can donate to them here: Cornwall Air Ambulance.”
*Antony and Sally are primarily raising funds for the RNLI, and the essential Cornwall Air Ambulance. Here’s a link to their JustGiving page:
*Antony Brown pictured (*above left) at Conwy parkrun en-route recording his run and (*right) heading towards the finish.
Crowd-funder.
*In addition to donating to these two worthy charities, readers might also wish to contribute towards Antony and Sally’s personal crowd-funder, which may help to cover some of their out-of-pocket expenses endured during the trip.
They said: “We are doing the journey on very limited funds so any support would be greatly appreciated. The expenses will used to help purchase vital equipment needed to continue the walk such as camping fees.
"You can follow our incredible trip on various social media sites: Please see the JustGiving fundraising site below.”
*Antony and Sally are primarily raising funds for the RNLI, and the essential Cornwall Air Ambulance. Here’s a link to their JustGiving page:
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Thanks for including us in your blog Don, it was lovely to meet you :-)
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Antony & Sally