Setting off on Sunday 14 August, Jessica Grainger, 29, from Cardiff, is aiming to run 102 miles in six days, before hosting a fundraising golf day to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK.
Taking place on Friday 19 August at Cardiff and Radyr Golf Club, the golf day will see 88 participants take on one round of golf.
Jessica said: “I enjoy running but I’ve never ran this distance before so it will be mentally and physically challenging for me! I initially wanted to run from Tenby to Cardiff, stopping off at each golf club on the way, but I can’t as the coastal path is closed. So, I’m running the same distance around my hometown before holding the golf day.”
Jessica was inspired to take on her fundraising challenges because her Dad, Norman Grainger, 67, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years ago.
She said: “When my Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s I didn’t really know what it was, or what it meant for us as a family. Over the years, we have done a lot of research and seen first-hand the impact that Parkinson’s has on an individual’s life. Right now, Dad is feeling positive about his diagnosis, but we know that over time he will continue to decline and his condition will affect his daily life.”
Jessica is hoping that the support from her fundraising challenge will help her Dad keep his positive attitude, increase awareness of the disease, and raise vital funds for Parkinson’s UK.”
Parkinson’s affects around 145,000 people in the UK, including approximately 7,600 people in Wales.
Bethan Palfrey, Wales Fundraiser at Parkinson’s UK, said:
“We are so grateful to Jessica for supporting Parkinson’s UK in her fundraising efforts. Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, so the development of a new treatment which can slow or stop it in its tracks can’t wait. Her fundraising helps move us one step closer to a life-changing cure that will transform the lives of people with the condition and their loved ones.”
There’s still time to get involved with Jessica’s fundraising efforts. To take part in the golf day, email [email protected], or to sponsor her running challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jessica-grainger7