90-year-old Burnham-On-Sea resident Mary Nicholson – who walked the entire 97 mile length of Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for the NHS earlier this year – has this week handed over £8,500 for the Beacon Centre at Musgrove Park Hospital, where her brother Peter is receiving treatment.
As reported here by Burnham-On-Sea.com earlier this year, Mary Nicholson completed her grueling week-long trek in May along The Hadrian’s Wall Path, stretching coast to coast across northern England. She was also presented with a civic award for her local community work.
Mary says: “Following the outstanding care and treatment for my brother, Peter, at the Beacon Centre and from colorectal surgeon Mr Paul Mackey, I decided to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for Musgrove Park Hospital’s cancer services.”
“The walk itself was very tough, and although the first couple of days were arguably the easiest as they mainly consisted of walking on flat surfaces, we started hitting the hills, and climbing up and down rocks.”
“It was really tough going as it was quite hot, and the most difficult part was probably days five or six, as we were told it would be an 11 mile walk, but once we’d reached that milestone, we realised it was actually 15 miles that day! It definitely wasn’t what I wanted to see as my legs were aching!”
“In honesty there were many times that I wanted to give up because of the physical barriers, but it was my faith that drove me on. I have arthritis in my knees, which could be painful, but I still managed to complete it!”
Mary, who’s also a former midwife, was joined on the eight-day trek by family members, including her three daughters, youngest son and grandchildren, but said she set the pace!
She said it was thoughts of the Beacon Centre and her brother that kept her going. “It’s his enthusiasm for the centre and all the care they have taken of him,” she told Burnham-On-Sea.com earlier this year.
“When you are going up the hills, and there are quite a few of them, it’s quite stony and there’s stony paths, wooden stiles to climb over, it’s quite testing. I set the pace and off we went.”
Mrs Nicholson prepared by walking every day along Burnham-On-Sea beach and Brean Down, and began the hike on 25 April.
She continued: “I thought right ‘I’ve cracked this, this is going to be a piece of cake’ – but it was no piece of cake. It was much, much tougher than that, but I’m so glad I did it.”
Regular Burnham-On-Sea.com readers may remember that Mary has always loved a daring challenge for her birthday – we reported here in 2015 that Mary celebrated her 80th birthday with an abseiling challenge!
Pictured: Mary Nicholson presents a cheque for £8,561 to colleagues at Musgrove Park Hospital following her fundraising efforts.
