A Forres woman is walking 235 miles in the Portuguese heat to raise £2000 to help others with medical care, despite having a foot operation herself last year.
Fiona McClenaghan, who works for the NHS, says she is no athlete but has already passed her target amount. She reports that temperatures are around 30 degrees.
“I am aiming to walk over 235 miles to raise funds for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), I chose this charity because I felt so helpless when hearing about worldwide troubles (earthquake in Turkey and Syria situation for women in Afghanistan; impact of Sudan conflict on civilians etc) and I wanted to do something to help, knowing that MSF works in over 70 countries and always puts the patients first, no matter the wider circumstances.
“I’m walking from Lisbon on to Porto, along the medieval Wayfare of the Camino Portuguese. A week into my walk I have already covered over 135 miles. It has been tough going in parts, especially as the temperature reached 30+ degrees C the first few days. The terrain has been mixed, including areas of busy main road, which was challenging. I took a rest day in Tomar and did some sightseeing. The Convento de Cristo is spectacular.
“I’ve felt strong on the walk up until a few days ago, when my ‘good’ knee became a bit troublesome. I have since been sensible and cut down from walking 20+ miles a day to 10 or 15 miles. I set off before 6am to make the most of the cooler part of day.”
Fiona said the Portuguese people are wonderful. warm and welcoming and have gone out of their way to help when needed.
“I’ve been staying in ‘pilgrims’ accommodation, called albergues. These have basic facilities, often bunk beds, but provide everything needed. I’ve been sharing accommodation with a fellow pilgrim, unfortunately also a loud snorer, but she has now gone on ahead, as we each now walk our own pace.
You can send Fiona a donation at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fiona-mcclenaghan3?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=fiona-mcclenaghan3&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=5fd60103b6f045a1a9735d8d0f1b295b
