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This May, a team of eight friends will take on the monster challenge of walking the 96 mile West Highland Way route in four days. Leaving from Milngavie on Friday 26 May, the group will reach Fort William on Monday 29 May, which is the start of Dementia Awareness Week in Scotland.
Angela, Stephen, Steve, Mark, Danielle, Frankie, Holly and Arlene (the West Highland Ramblers) will tackle the iconic long distance route in honour of Arlene’s mum Joan who is living with dementia and published her first book last year aged 85.
We caught up with walk leaders Arlene (41) and Stephen (33) about their challenge.
Why did you choose the particular challenge?
STEPHEN: It is a challenge we have completed before for charity, and as gruelling as it is, it is also a challenge worthy of people’s donations. We are putting ourselves through the hard work for a very good cause and the fact we are doing it in honour of Joan just makes it a bit more epic.
ARLENE: As Stephen said, it is something we have done previously so know we can complete it. I really wanted to do something that really pushed us all to the limits to raise awareness and show that we can overcome the challenges we face, in much the same way that people dealing with dementia face every day. Having dementia can be a real challenge for many and we want to reflect that. It just makes it even more special the fact we are doing it in mum’s honour, as she really is a great advocate for people with dementia everywhere. She shows great courage and determination each day living with Alzheimer’s so we can all take inspiration from her when taking on this 96 mile walk over 4 days.
What is difficult about your challenge?
ARLENE: The most difficult thing about this challenge is finding the energy to walk 24 miles per day. You get to the end of your each day and every bone in your body aches, but you know you must find the energy from somewhere to get up and do it all over again the next day.
STEPHEN: It is not a straight walk either. Sometimes you can be having a leisurely walk along a nice tree lined path and the next minute you are scaling rocks and climbing a Munro, and that is all in one day. The difficulty is energy levels and constantly making sure you are properly hydrated and have plenty of snacks for energy during the walk too.
How will you feel when you complete challenge?
ARLENE: Exhausted! But really exhilarated also and proud of us all for completing the walk. The last time we did it I also felt really emotional, you get so tired but at the same time you feel like you have accomplished something amazing.
STEPHEN: Yes, I agree, you feel extremely drained and in a lot of pain, but part of you is sad when it is all over. There is no greater feeling in the world than knowing you have achieved something and especially when it is for a worthwhile cause. I will also feel proud that I have lead the team to the finish line in Fort William, there is pressure on me as team leader to ensure we get there so I’ll feel glad when we actually do!
What are you looking forward to the most?
STEPHEN: Just the camaraderie and team spirit that builds between you all during a walk like this. As much as it can be tough, you also enjoy working together to complete the challenge. Seeing the amazing scenery our country has to offer is another thing to look forward to, you see some great views of the West of Scotland as you do the walk. I think I will enjoy filming the walk this time too, it will be something good to look back on someday.
ARLENE: I am looking forward to similar things. Working together to complete the walk, the scenery and just knowing I am doing something worthwhile to benefit others. Filming it should be a good experience and something we may look back on and either laugh or cringe about (probably both) but at least it will give people an idea of what we went through and how tough the challenge actually is.
What are you doing to get your friends, family and colleagues to support you?
ARLENE: Well we will be doing all the usual things like tweeting and Facebooking all our friends and family to get them to donate to our fundraising efforts. Over and above this, my family are keen to get involved somehow, even if they are not participating in the walk itself. Some will be bringing us supplies if we need it, others will be coming up to Fort William to meet us and give us all a lift home to Glasgow for some much needed rest. They will also be putting sponsor sheets in their workplaces to help towards our fundraising target.
Why are you taking part in the challenge?
STEPHEN: For me, it is a number of reasons. Having grown up moving from children’s home to children’s home as a child, it kind of makes me want to give back to society in some way. It makes me feel better to do something worthwhile to help others and I always try to do my best to help others if I can. I also have experience working with the elderly and people who deal with Alzheimer’s, so I know how the importance of raising awareness about its effects is extremely beneficial.
ARLENE: I am doing it because I know first-hand how important it is to raise awareness of dementia. Until your family is effected by a disease like Alzheimer’s you have no idea of what it takes to deal with it. Now having our mother (Joan) coping daily with the effects of dementia, it makes us realise just how much support and advice you actually need to help you deal with it all as a family. Alzheimer Scotland is a cause extremely close to my family’s heart because of the great work they do supporting families and people dealing with dementia all across Scotland. I couldn’t think of a better cause to support and walking it in honour of our wonderful mother it makes it even more special and poignant for me.
If you would like to make a donation to the West Highland Ramblers, visit their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/ajauntforjoan
