To celebrate her upcoming 40th birthday, Amanda Shilton, Senior improvement Advisor, has set herself the challenge of walking up Pendle Hill 40 times to raise money for the Trust charity, Hope and Mind at LSCFT.
Amanda started her challenge on 13 April, leaving herself just 34 days to complete the challenge. The original aim was to do one walk a day with a few morning and evening walk days to reach the target.
Amanda explains:
“In a slightly last‑minute moment of sunshine-fuelled madness I decided I wanted to set myself a challenge, to celebrate my upcoming 40th birthday, but also to fundraise in memory of my brother Chris, as the 13 April marks three years since Chris died by suicide.
“This challenge is deeply personal, I’m incredibly grateful for my own wellbeing, and while this is a tough and slightly crazy challenge, it is one I’ve chosen, people do not choose to have a mental illness. I’ve decided to raise money for the Trust charity, Hope & Mind, which supports mental health, learning disability and autism services.”
Over the course of the challenge, Amanda will walk roughly 80 miles and ascend more than 28,400 feet in total, which is comparable in both distance and elevation to climbing Mount Everest.
When the challenge began Amanda planned to walk daily but has since surprised herself by pushing herself further and completing two pendle hill climbs back-to-back, something she never imagined she could do.
Amanda adds:
“I was genuinely surprised, I never believed I was capable of back-to-back walks, but I did it and it has completely changed how I’m viewing this challenge. I now have the option to complete two climbs in a single walk, I’ll be able to have rest days and I’m planning a final symbolic climb on my birthday!”
Colleagues have shown their support by offering to walk alongside Amanda, spreading words of encouragement and sharing, or making donations to her donations page.
Amanda set out with the ambition of raising £250 but has been blown away by the support she has received so far.
Amanda commented:
“To have already exceeded my original target is an overwhelming feeling, I’m so grateful for everyone’s support, whether that is by donating, sharing my story or giving me words of encouragement. I wanted to so something special for my birthday and in memory of my brother Chris and I’m really enjoying the challenge so far, even if the tiredness and achy legs have started but I’m determined to keep going!”
Hope and Mind at LSCFT supports Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community-based services across the region. Their vision is to help LSCFT achieve excellence in healthcare, reduce health inequalities, complement and enhance NHS services to enrich the experience of those receiving care and break stigma surrounding mental health.
You can follow Amanda’s journey, donate to her challenge or share words of encouragement on her JustGiving page.
