There ain’t no mountain excessive sufficient in a Lanarkshire girl’s quest to lift money for the charity that gave her pal a purpose for dwelling after he all of a sudden misplaced his sight.
Since Stacey McCallum was launched to Scott Cunningham within the office round seven years in the past, she has been filled with admiration for the person who was solely 23 when his optic nerves died away, utterly robbing him of his imaginative and prescient.
Stacey and Scott have remained agency mates ever since, and she or he describes him as “probably the most inspirational individuals” she has ever recognized.
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After Stacey’s dad died all of a sudden in 2017 on the age of 57, adopted solely 13 months later by the demise of her 54-year-old mum, who had battled MS, she pledged to overcome Mount Kilimanjaro in her mother and father’ reminiscence.
Though the pandemic put paid to her plans in 2020, a gutsy Stacey is now again in coaching. And this time, she’s as soon as once more on a mission to sort out the world’s highest, single, free-standing mountain above sea stage, whereas elevating £5000 for Information Canine – the charity that restored confidence, independence and hope for pal Scott at a time when he thought life wasn’t price dwelling.
Stacey, 30, has ploughed £3500 of her personal money into the self-funded journey, and departs the UK for Africa on August 11, booked via outside exercise occasion organisers, The Bucket Listing.
She and fellow trekkers will set off on the Marangu route hike on August 14, and plans to return to base by August 19.
“Mount Kilimanjaro sits proudly at 5895 metres excessive, 19,341 toes above sea stage, and I’ve been obsessive about it for years attributable to my love of the movie, The Lion King. So, I believed, why not give it a go?” stated Stacey.
Though she works 50 hours per week as a compliance officer with a safety firm and as a South Lanarkshire Leisure recreation assistant, Stacey manages to squeeze into her routine a gruelling coaching schedule that features two cardio and two strengthening classes per week underneath the watchful eye of her private coach, Heather Whitelaw.
In addition to following a strict diet plan, she has trekked Ben Ledi and often hikes up Tinto Hill close to to Climpy – the hamlet close to Forth the place she lives.
In addition to pledging donations via Stacey’s JustGiving web page, she has additionally drawn assist from her employer, Anubis Safety, who can be paying for her vaccinations, and South Lanarkshire household companies, The Wee Farm Distillery and McKerr Fencing, who're sponsoring her equipment, comprising a sleeping bag, boots, poles, rucksacks and clothes to go well with the situations and altitude.
This isn't Stacey’s first enterprise into going that additional mile for charity by elevating funds via sporting feats.
Previously six years, she has raised an astonishing £15,000 for Money for Youngsters, The Haven and the MS Society via Powerful Mudders, a sky dive, strolling the West Highland Method, scaling Ben Nevis, finishing the Nice Scottish Swim, in addition to half marathons, 10kms and a wide range of impediment course races.
“I’ve raised 1000's for charities very near me and, this time, I wish to give to Information Canine,” she defined.
“That is primarily right down to the legend and wonderful pal of mine, Scott Cunningham MBE. I had the privilege of assembly Scott and dealing with him for quite a lot of years. He’s probably the most inspiring individuals I’ve ever met. He goes snowboarding, runs marathons and climbs mountains. There’s nothing this man can’t do.
“He’s an incredible man, and he’s wonderful, contemplating what he’s gone via in life. After utterly shedding his eye sight on the age of 23, he was launched to his first information canine – and he’s now on quantity 4. He's inspiring and does stuff that any sighted individual would say they can't do.”
Virtually two million individuals within the UK reside with sight loss that has considerably impacted their each day lives.
Of these, round 180,000 not often depart their houses alone and lead lonely, remoted lives. Information Canine works for a world the place individuals with sight loss are by no means overlooked of life, for a world the place being blind or partially sighted just isn't what defines you however is one by which there’s sufficient assist to make the challenges of sight loss no barrier to fulfilling hopes and goals.
Larkhall man Scott, 51, who was awarded the MBE in recognition of his fundraising efforts: “Once I utterly misplaced my sight over three weeks in 1993, I all of a sudden had no job, no future, no independence, no confidence and completely no hope in any respect.
“Information Canine gave me again every part: with the ability to turn out to be impartial once more, and lead a really assured and lively life.
From my first information canine Ike, to Travis, Milo and now Lincoln, each has given me such unbelievable recollections.
“They've additionally given me again my self-worth, permitting me to return to a wholesome and match way of life, endeavor challenges within the nice outdoor – all of which might have been unimaginable with out them.
“I'm extraordinarily grateful to Stacey for kindly selecting to undertake this epic problem in assist of Information Canine, each penny kindly donated will assist give one other blind individual the lively and impartial way of life I've been fortunate to take pleasure in because of this unbelievable charity.”
Scott, who earlier this month accomplished the 2022 Therme Manchester Marathon, stated: “Because of Stacey and due to everybody for serving to change a blind individual’s life right here in Scotland. I do know first hand the distinction Information Canine has made to 1 life. Please dig deep and assist me assist 1000's extra. They actually can change peoples lives.”
Stacey, who hopes to draw further sponsorship, can be holding raffles and different fundraising actions within the run-up to the epic trek, together with a barn dance.
To donate via Stacey’s crowdfunding web page, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stacey-mccallum-climpytokilamanjaro
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