Ron Smith's Minto Challenge

Safe oot, safe in! My challenge has been completed. In good weather, I walked from home to the top of each of the Minto Hills, and then home again: 12 ½ miles in 5 ¾ hours. It's a tremendous relief to have achieved this fully, as many people had had faith in me and made donations. If you haven't already done so, the Just Giving page is still open at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ron-smith-minto-challenge

The views from the top were wonderfully clear. Looking back home, my house was just a speck in the distance!

I have to express my great thanks for the support on the day from Pat Sutherland who accompanied me the whole way. She said she was the First Aid staff. I called her my minder! Gus Neilson walked up the hills and then all the way home, and Linden and Tony Warburton and my wife Eileen also took part in sizeable chunks of the walk. Ron Sutherland popped up again and again in support and led us all up, around, and down the hills. Scott Elliot, George Hogg, Ian Aitken and my son Andrew also showed up along the way to give encouragement. Thank you all. A team effort, hopefully to the benefit of local groups.

I am 76, and was unfit, overweight, with various ailments. Over the last two months I have walked more, and lost some weight, and as my Health & Fitness Adviser (OK, my wife) stresses: the need now is to keep this up.