Alness woman raises £8000 for MND charity with Chinese trek; Motor Neurone Disease Scotland benefits from effort by Galbraith employee
AN Easter Ross woman who made an epic trek along one of the world's iconic landmarks has raised £8000 towards research into a cruel disease that robbed her of a loved one.
And in a poignant tribute to her late grandfather, Trini Graham-Stewart left a permanent reminder of what drove her to take on the challenge half a world away.
Ms Graham-Stewart, from Alness, completed an arduous five-day trek along the Great Wall of China to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease Scotland. The £4000 she raised was matched by her employer, Galbraith in Inverness, to boost the total to £8000.
She said:“It’s only 60km but it’s so steep and it’s constantly up and down. It was never intended to be walked along as we do today – we were on our hands and knees in some places! The hardest part was the Heavenly Ladder which is 1260 steps to the top, but luckily we did that on the final day!”
The sales negotiator in the busy estate agency team had to raise funds for a year before setting off for China, to cover the cost of her flights, which she managed by knitting scarves and baking cakes to sell to friends and family.
She was captivated by the beauty of China and would like to return to the country some day:
“The scenery was beautiful and the people were incredibly friendly. We stayed in local B & Bs and spent time with the villagers, which was great. The best part was that we were able to work with local guides to restore a section of the wall which had been eroded. In my section I placed a note commemorating my grandfather, who passed away from Motor Neurone Disease.”
The team of 39 plucky Scots who completed the walk raised a grand total of £180,000 for the charity.
Trini has in the past run a half marathon in aid of the same cause and plans to continue to help when she can, despite her job as a sales negotiator in the busy estate agency team in Galbraith Inverness.
“I’m glad to be able to contribute, to help those affected by this terrible disease. As well as supporting patients and their families, the ultimate aim of MND Scotland is to find a cure.”
