Karen Penny, a 53-year-old mum from South Wales, is currently walking around the ENTIRE coast of the UK and Ireland. The journey will be about 20,000 miles, and will take her an estimated three years to complete!
Karen is raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s leading dementia research charity – after losing both of her in-laws to different forms of dementia. Her fundraising target is £100,000 and she is already nearly 40% of the way there.
Karen – who may be the first woman to do this journey non-stop (i.e. without going home or breaking her journey) – has been making incredible progress since she set off from South Wales in January.
In the first seven months of her challenge she has already walked the complete circumference of the island of Ireland, and the entire Welsh coastal path, recently passing the 3,000 mile milestone.
Karen – who has appeared on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio Two, BBC Wales and national radio shows in Ireland, as well as receiving national newspaper coverage in England and Ireland – is an enthusiastic and engaging person who has amazing tales to tell about her journey so far.
She has been bowled over by the kindness of people that she has met along the way – with offers of cups of tea, meals, company as she walks and places to stay overnight.
Despite having a tent in her rucksack that she carries with her as she walks, she has found that much of the time kind supporters have offered her accommodation instead – everything from a bird hide to a castle! She has been met and praised by the Mayors of Dublin and Liverpool.
She is currently in the north west of England, and is expected to reach Scotland next week – 18th August, all being well.
She thinks that the Scottish leg of her journey could take her up to a year to complete, as she plans to walk the circumference of “at least” 20 Scottish islands as well as the mainland coast while she is here!
Karen’s fundraising page is https://www.justgiving.com/
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