A BALSALL Common woman with Parkinson’s is set to lace up her walking boots to take on a coast to coast challenge.
When Sally Franck was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2020, her consultant told her that a good way to help manage her symptoms was to “keep moving”.
Since then, Sally has truly taken her consultant’s words to heart by embarking on walking challenges along Hadrian’s Wall (passing through Cumbria and Northumberland) and Offa’s Dyke (stretching along the Welsh-English border), raising a staggering £30k for Parkinson’s charities along the way.
Later this month Sally hopes to complete her most difficult walking challenge yet: Alfred Wainwright’s Coast to Coast.
Sally will be joined by her husband Richard, and friends Beth, Iain and Anna on this 190-mile walk from St Bees Head in Cumbria to Robin Hoods Bay in North Yorkshire.
The team will follow Wainwright’s iconic route passing through three National Parks: the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North York Moors.
As with her previous walking challenges, Sally is fundraising along the way and hopes to raise £10,000 to be split equally between the charities Cure Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s UK.
Sally and the team hope to complete the challenge in two weeks by walking around 14 miles each day. Over the last few months they have been gradually increasing their training and getting out come rain or shine to make sure they are all prepared for the 14 day adventure.
Sally said: “We’ve been solidly building up the training since the New Year, doing longer and longer walks with more ascent in some very muddy, cold and wet conditions. We’re really hoping for some more sunshine and fewer bogs when we do the real thing.”
To help keep the team motivated during the Coast to Coast walk a number of friends will be joining them on various stretches of the 190-mile route.
Sally said: “We have some wonderful friends who are joining us for legs of the walk, bringing cake and helping us carry bags. Friendship is such a brilliant boost to our challenge, and we’re so lucky to have such great friends.”
Both Cure Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s UK are hugely grateful to Sally and the team for raising funds and awareness for them.
Cure Parkinson’s chief executive, Helen Matthews, said: “We cannot thank Sally and the team enough.
“Their commitment to training, fundraising and of course the gruelling walk itself is inspirational. This is such an incredible challenge for anyone, but for someone like Sally – who lives with Parkinson’s – to take it on is incredible and needs to be celebrated.”
Kirsty Berrigan and Rebecca Landolt, heads of community fundraising at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We would like to personally thank Sally and her team for taking on the Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk this May. It’s an incredible feat, and despite living with Parkinson’s herself, Sally has shown great determination and strength in pursuing this 190-mile walk in support of both Parkinson’s UK and Cure Parkinson’s.”
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