07/08/23
Lisa Cowie clearly likes a challenge, and her latest adventure is to walk the length of the UK to raise funds for Quarriers. Unfortunately, having a full-time job means she can’t take off for a few months to do it with a team, so she is walking the equivalent miles over the next three months around north Aberdeenshire.
Lisa, who is from Macduff, an hour north of Aberdeen, started her challenge on July 1st and plans to finish on September 30th. That involves walking an average of nine miles a day, seven days a week. The total mileage is 874 miles, which is 18,000 steps every day.
“I’m raising funds for Quarriers as my mum worked for the charity for many years within the Aberdeenshire Epilepsy Community Outreach Service. My husband lives with epilepsy so it is a cause close to my heart.”
Quarriers Epilepsy Community Outreach supports people in their local communities across the North-East and other areas who have epilepsy, as well as their families, carers and professionals who support them. Offering practical advice, specialist knowledge, help in the workplace, training and a host of support groups to help people who live with epilepsy and their families, meet other people in a similar position to provide mutual support and advice.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in the world and around 1 in 103 people in the UK live with epilepsy. Its impact can vary considerably from person to person depending on which part of the brain is affected. Epilepsy can affect anyone of any age, gender, race or ethnicity. Quarriers’ Epilepsy Community Outreach team currently supports around 500 people living with epilepsy across Scotland.
Lisa has just turned 50 and she has set herself this challenge in a bid to be ‘Fit for 50’.
“I recently did the West Highland Way and afterwards I felt I needed a new challenge. I had gotten a little lazy when I finished it, so I thought doing the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats would be a good challenge to get me going again.
“It’s hard work to fit in all the walking while I am working. I try to do an hour’s walk in the morning. And I walk at lunchtime and then I do another walk in the evening. Some days if I miss the morning or lunchtime walk, I will walk home from work, which takes around two hours. I can’t miss out on one full day’s walking as it would be difficult to make that up.
“I’m hoping to raise £500 or more if possible.” Lisa is an Assistant Project Engineer for Motive Offshore Group, and she says that her competitiveness has been coming through recently. “I’m part of my work’s Strava group, and I was top of the leader board last week. I’ve some colleagues who are very fit and active, so I’m determined to stay in the top three.
“I keep trying to change my routes to keep it interesting. Three months of walking around Macduff might be too much! I’ve always enjoyed walking. I’ve done the Kiltwalk, the Moon Walk four times, and climbed Ben Nevis twice, so the walking is not the challenge, it’s finding the time to fit it in. But I’m a determined person and I will finish it. It’s for such a good cause, and I hope lots of people donate to help motivate me each day.”
Norma Crawford, Project Manager of the Epilepsy Community Outreach Service added: “Lisa’s mum is a ‘well kent name’ in the north if you’re in and around epilepsy and has done a lot of great things for people living with epilepsy. It’s not only brilliant that Lisa is getting involved, but great that Lisa thought of us as her chosen charity and has agreed that some people we support, who wish to, can join her on some of her journey. We will be happy to support everyone with their challenges in supporting Lisa with her walk, so watch this space.”
To help Lisa raise funds for Quarriers, you can donate to her Just Giving page Lisa Cowie is fundraising for Quarriers (justgiving.com)