If you have been for a walk somewhere in the Thornbury area during the last month then chances are you may have spotted Annie Griffin.
Thornbury Golf Club’s ladies vice captain has walked an astonishing 370 miles since February 8 as part of a fundraising challenge.
Annie is undergoing the challenge to raise money for NF2 Biosolutions UK, a new charity set up to find a cure for NF2 (Neurofibromatosis Type 2) using gene therapy.
The condition, which affects 1 in 30,000 people, causes tumours to grow along your nerves.
Major surgery to remove the tumours is the only treatment currently available and the risks involved often outweigh the benefits.
NF2 Biosolutions UK is this year’s club charity as the grandson of one of Annie’s fellow members has the condition.
Annie was initially challenged to walk 200 miles before the end of lockdown but has now almost doubled this, walking the equivalent distance from Thornbury to Glasgow.
More than £1,000 has been raised so far thanks to the generosity of Thornbury Golf Club members.
Some members have helped Annie on her way by taking it in turns to join her for a socially distanced walk and to complete some of the miles together.
They even had a song to march along to as one member wrote a parody of The Proclaimers hit, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).
With just a few days left until Annie’s challenge comes to an end on March 8, the question remains as to how close to 500 miles she can get.
For more information about NF2 Biosolutions UK visit nf2biosolutions.org
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