WALKING on water – a determined charity worker has set herself the challenge of walking 100 miles in two weeks, all while on a transatlantic cruise.
Anne Carpenter, a Community Support Worker for Blind Veterans UK in Rugby, isn’t letting her holiday get in the way of her resolve to raise awareness of the charity, which helps vision-impaired ex-service men and women in the UK.
Anne, 59, is taking part in the charity’s month-long March for Veterans initiative to raise funds and awareness.
She flew to Barbados on March 16 and stepped aboard P&O Cruises’ flagship Britannia, which will take her to St Lucia, Antigua, Saint Kitts and The Azores, before sailing across the Atlantic and arriving in Southampton on March 29.
She said: “I want to make a difference.
“I’m inspired by the work of Blind Veterans UK. Their input is life-changing to blind veterans and I wanted to support them by raising money and awareness as part of my participation in March for Veterans.
“I thought what better time as I enter the 60th year of my life. I’m in awe of people who do challenges for great causes and love walking, so saw it as a great opportunity.”
Anne tracks her steps with a wearable device, so knows how big a challenge it’s going to be.
She said: “I average around 50 miles per month, so to do double that in two weeks is going to be tough.
“However when I read about the ship and its sheer size, I realised that I’d be able to hit my goal, while travelling through one of the most picturesque regions on the planet.”
Anne will walk the last 10 miles of her challenge on March 30 at one of the charity’s organised walks.
Blind Veterans UK has dedicated the month of March to veterans under the header of March for Veterans. The charity hopes to raise awareness of the 50,000 isolated blind veterans across the UK who often go for days or weeks with no one to speak to or to help them perform essential tasks.
The charity helps vision-impaired ex-service men and women rebuild their lives after sight loss.
The charity has a community team in Warwickshire which provides support including training, equipment and social events.
Visit www.blindveterans.org.uk for more information.
Visit www.tinyurl.com/y2fqcqjd to track Anne’s progress and sponsor her.
