Kim Gilbert, 70, a retired district nurse, mother of five and grandmother of eleven, is taking on the task, which is the furthest you can go within the British Isles without changing direction.
She began her quest in April and hopes to complete it by July. The traditional route is around 1,200 miles and she is walking on average 14 miles per day, with the occasional 18 mile day.
Kim said she was inspired to take up the challenge by a woman who she met out walking and was completing the same trip. Kim, already being an avid walker, decided that she could do something similar and at the same time raise money for Tearfund, the international development charity she had supported for many years.
Kim said: “There are so many good things about the walk, such as the stunning landscape and the time to reflect on life.
“There are some lowlights, such as crossing the Severn bridge, which was difficult because I suffer from vertigo.
“If I had to give advice about a walking challenge like this I would suggest wearing a very good pair of boots and you also need to look after your feet.”
Kim has already raised over £4,400 of her £5,000 target and part of her accommodation en route has been church floors (known as champing) and she is being supported by her church in Cornwall and her family who have occasionally been joining her on the walk.
Kim is raising money on her JustGiving page which is available here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kim-gilbert5
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For further information or interview requests contact Matt Cooper: matthew.cooper@tearfund.org, 0781 3205340 or for out of hours media enquiries please call 07929 339813.
Notes to editors:
Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
