A grandmother from Gaywood is celebrating raising more than £35,000 for charity over the years by taking on the London MoonWalk in memory of her mother.
Bridget Wells, 58, who works for Crossroads Day Centre in South Wootton, started fundraising in 1988 following the death of her mother to breast cancer and has covered a distance of well over 100 miles by taking part in seven organised runs and walks.
She said: “I love it, it’s great fun and it keeps me fit. I do a run or a walk every two or three years.
“It suits me to be busy – I’m constantly on the go from the minute I wake up until last thing at night when I collapse.”
“I always send pictures to the grandkids and my daughters, who are both really proud of me, and they keep the pictures on the fridge.
“I keep a memento from each run and keep them in a book which I hope to pass on to my grandchildren.”
Mrs Wells started her fundraising mission when she took part in the 1988 11k All-Terrain Run in Hunstanton, raising £2,500 which she shared between the Macmillan nurses at George Thomas Hospice Care in South Wales and Cancer Research UK.
She said; “It was the first proper run I ever did and it was amazing. I always give to cancer charities because of my mum and the Macmillan nurses were so kind to my mother, I wanted to do something for them.”
Since then she has run three marathons and taken part in a 32-mile walk with her husband raising money for a variety of causes including Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy, Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Tsunami Disaster Fund, Multiple Sclerosis and Norfolk Hospice Tapping House.
Mrs Wells said: “My husband joined me for the 32-mile walk from our home in Kensington Road to Hunstanton’s lighthouse and back again.
“We raised a total of £5,700 to buy new computers for pupils at Churchill Park School.”
Raising several thousand pounds at each event, her top fundraiser was for Norfolk Hospice Tapping House at the London Marathon. She completed the run in nine hours and 55 minutes and raised £9,500.
Her next challenge is to complete the London MoonWalk, starting at Battersea Power Station on May 11, to raise money and awareness for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Mrs Wells plans to complete the 26.2 miles “full moon” and has already made a start on her fundraising.
She said: “I would like to thank everyone who has donated so far, I’ve already raised £1,500 but I would really like to get at least £3,000. I’m hoping to hold a raffle and bingo at Gaywood Conservative Club to raise more money.
“I’m really looking forward to this one as I’ve never done an event at night before. But it starts at midnight and I like my beauty sleep.”
To sponsor Mrs Wells, go to www.justgiving.com/Bridget-Wells
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