HAVING written numerous stories about the fantastic fund-raising achievements of the Saddleworth community, I decided it was time to contribute, writes Trevor Baxter.
So, with my wife Sue receiving ongoing but more debilitating cancer treatment I signed up for the Macmillan’s Mighty Hike event in the Yorkshire Dales.
That was the easy bit. Walking 14.5 miles over “hilly terrain” requires a modicum of pre-event training for people of a certain age.
And with family and friends raising nearly £1,400 before taking a first step across the start line in the beautiful setting of Malham, you can’t let anyone down.
So, in recent months, and in tandem with a virtual 874 miles walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats, I started to clock up the mileage.
Walking 15 miles from Christie Hospital, Withington back to Greenfield in high end temperatures was a good, flat endurance booster.
Taking in two summits of the Saddleworth 3 Peaks (plus Alphin Pike) and three reservoirs (Dovestone, Yeoman Hey and Greenfield) in the wind and rain saw me complete the preparations.
I felt apprehensive but confident as together with Hike buddy, Steve Callender, we set off; Sue and Steve’s wife, Janet, as cheerleaders.
Fortunately, the weather was kind, the chafing negligible and the steeper sections nothing compared to scaling Saddleworth’s iconic summits all resulting in a finishing time at Hebden of 4 hrs 44mins 34 seconds staggeringly for 26th place out of 536 finishers.
The glass of prosecco, the medal, the certificate and the congratulations of Macmillan volunteers were lovely.
But the satisfaction came from raising funds for a charity whose care and support will sadly one day be needed, not just by Sue but for many more suffering with the disease.
• Find out more about Macmillan Cancert Support online: https://tinyurl.com/mwtsskpf
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