A dog trainer and her pony will trek 250 miles – from Southport to Hornsea – to raise funds for Macmillan which has supported her family through her dad’s cancer ordeal.
Sarah Bartlett, who is originally from Thurgoland, Barnsley, but now lives in Worcestershire, took on the challenge after her dad, Steve Roper, was told the kidney cancer he was diagnosed with just a few months ago had spread.
Sarah said: “I lost my step-father to cancer, my mum has also beaten breast cancer and now my dad has cancer. Macmillan has been there for all of us throughout.
“Macmillan doesn’t receive any government funding and relies on donations to help support its services and I just want to give something back for everything they have done and continue to do for my family.”
With her Fell pony Billy, Sarah will trek the length of the Trans Pennine Trail from coast-to-coast, starting in Southport on Friday, 23 August, and finishing nine days later in Hornsea.
Speaking about the 250-mile trek, her dad Steve, a haulier from Thurgoland, said: “I’m majorly proud of Sarah and what she’s about to do, but it came as a major surprise. I had no idea what she was planning until she asked whether she could stay here the night before she set off.
“I’m so proud because Macmillan has been very supportive of both me and my family. They have been so helpful in a lot of ways. Thanks to Macmillan I’ve been able to receive my pension from the Royal Navy early and I’ve already received a lump sum from my pension. They have also helped with applying for a disabled parking badge and a support allowance.”
Steve, whose passion is renovating vintage lorries plans to spend the rest of the summer with his wife Karen, travelling in his 1959 lorry to what’s left of the vintage and commercial shows.
He added: “I’ve converted the 1959 lorry into a motorhome and we have other vintage lorries we’ve converted, that my three sons will bring along as well, so we have lots of quality family time planned.”
Sarah hopes to raise over £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. To support Sarah’s fundraising challenge go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fellfromcoasttocoast
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