Andrew describes how he teamed up with his twin brother Grant and their dad Ian for the Dundee Kiltwalk to raise vital funds in honour of their grandmother Ruby, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease.
"As a family, we’ve always enjoyed being outdoors so when we heard about the Kiltwalk we thought – let’s give it a go. So my twin brother Grant, my dad Ian and I agreed to do it together as Team Reid. We chose to do the Mighty Stride, a 21.5 mile route from St Andrew’s to Dundee, to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland because it’s a cause close to us as a family.
"My nanny Ruby, who’s 91, is living with Alzheimer’s and we also lost our pappy – her husband – to the same illness 17 years ago. We have experienced first-hand the toll that Alzheimer’s disease can take on an individual and a family, so we wanted to do something special for my nanny and also for our mum, Lynne, who’s been through a lot as her primary carer.
"I’m 31 now and recently became a dad for the first time. I feel like my goal is to try to help the world get to a place where my daughter doesn't ever need to worry about Alzheimer’s or worry about her friends or family being affected by it. This is something that shouldn't exist and I hope that by raising some money we can help work towards finding some sort of cure or prevention for it.
"Doing the Kiltwalk was a great experience. We’re not averse to making ourselves look foolish for a good cause, so I chose to wear the most audacious trousers I could find, in a bright pink and black plaid. My dad Ian, 58, chose blue tartan shorts while Grant opted for a kilt. I thought those were brave choices considering the midges we expected to encounter in Tentsmuir forest.
"It was a very scenic 20 miles and didn’t feel arduous – perhaps the worst injury we sustained was a bit of sunburn! I think what made the walk manageable was having my family and all the other walkers around me. Grant lives in Glasgow but works between there and London as a script editor for Eastenders. I live in Glenrothes and my dad lives in our family home in Cumbernauld. As much as we regularly communicate over phone calls and texts, we don’t see each other as much as we’d like, so spending a full day together was really special. We’re delighted to have raised more than £2,000 so far.
"As nanny’s memory fades, Grant has made a point of researching and writing down her story and gathering old photos. She worked as a nurse in Scotland, but when she was younger she moved to Rhode Island to work as a live-in nanny. After three years, she returned to Scotland with her homesick friend, fully intending to go back to the US. But she never made it back. During her visit she was bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding, and it was there she met our pappy, the best man. And the rest, as they say, is history.
"It’s so important to have these lasting memories of her and her life that we can hold on to as a family. My brother, dad and I are now looking for the next big challenge we can do together, and again raise money for a cause that’s close to our heart."