Latest news with #TheMoonWalk


Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Theatre group youngsters from Stirling get ready to Moonwalk for cancer charity
Rubber Chicken director Pamela Mackie will be joined by some of her own children and some young performers from the Dunblane drama company for Walk The Walk as she continues her recovery from Long Covid. Young performers from a local theatre company are joining its director for an iconic walk for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk. Pamela Mackie from Cambusbarron is taking on the Full Moon walking challenge at The MoonWalk Scotland this year as she emerges from the shadow of Long Covid. Pamela, 45, has taken part in The MoonWalk Scotland since it started – but this year is walking with a team of youngsters (including some of her own children) and adults from the Rubber Chicken Theatre company, which she runs in Dunblane. The Moonwalk sees women and men wearing brightly decorated bras as they walk marathons through the streets of Edinburgh overnight. This year's MoonWalk is on Saturday September 6. After 19 years, it will be the last MoonWalk taking place in the capital, before the event goes on tour to a new city. Pamela said: 'I've been taking part in The MoonWalk Scotland since it first started 19 years ago, I've raised more than £15,000 for organisers Walk the Walk during that time and absolutely love everything this unique event stands for. 'I'm really excited to have signed up this year with a group of adults and youngsters from the Rubber Chicken Theatre, a social enterprise which I run in Dunblane. It's wonderful to be introducing a whole new generation of walkers to such an incredible event! 'My very first MoonWalk was in 2006. I'd read about it in the local press – it sounded new, interesting and fun. 'Breast cancer hadn't affected me directly, although a number of people in my wider circle had been diagnosed, so that was another reason for getting involved. I remember it being tough completing a walking marathon overnight that first time, but my friends and I still had an amazing time. The atmosphere was incredible and we felt like we were doing something really worthwhile – I was hooked on The MoonWalk from the get-go. 'Over the years, I've taken part in many more MoonWalks and several other walking events to raise money for Walk the Walk. The charity's events are something else – there's a totally different atmosphere to all the others I've done, a different energy, a different vibe and I absolutely love it. 'Even if you've not taken part for a while, when you see people you've met at previous MoonWalks, it's like meeting up members of your family. I always love the camaraderie, the feeling that everyone is uniting together and that amazing feeling when you finish your challenge and cross the finish line. Taking part in The MoonWalk has always given me an amazing goal to aim for too – it's a big driver for me and actually gets me out walking.' This time round, however, is particularly significant for Pamela. 'Unfortunately, my health after the pandemic wasn't so good, as I developed Long Covid, but now that I'm feeling much better and have also lost quite a lot of weight, I decided it was time to lace up my MoonWalking trainers once again. 'I'm so excited to be taking part in The MoonWalk this year with a team of mainly youngsters, and some adults, from the Rubber Chicken Theatre. 'We're all walking the Full Moon (26.2 miles), even though some of the young people are only 14 years old – three of my own teenage children are also part of the team. 'I work with up to around 300 children a week at The Rubber Chicken Theatre and so many of their relatives have been affected by breast cancer in some way – it will be a really poignant night for us all. 'When I realised that this year's MoonWalk theme was 'Musicals' – and with us being a theatre company – it felt like a sign that we should definitely sign up as a team. 'We're planning to decorate our bras inspired by a whole host of different musicals. As you can imagine, it's right up our street! As a group, we're looking forward to doing at least some of our big training walks together, which will be lots of fun. 'It's sad that this year will be the last MoonWalk in Edinburgh, but I know that it's going to be a great celebration and I would encourage anyone (especially those who haven't experienced a MoonWalk in Edinburgh yet) to sign up. Whether you're walking to support someone going through breast cancer, or in memory of someone, whether you want to get fitter, make friends or just have a crazy, fun night, I would definitely recommend The MoonWalk Scotland.' To sign up for The MoonWalk Scotland 2025, go to

Leader Live
4 days ago
- Health
- Leader Live
Flintshire: Fundraising duo's 350km walk for cancer charity
Gynette Janney, 53, from Hawarden, Flintshire, and Lucy Cummins, 57, from Maylandsea, Essex, will begin their '7 Ultras in 7 Days' on Saturday, July 12. They will begin their journey with a 50km walk from Lewknor to Wantage in Oxfordshire. Another 50km will be completed on day two, from Wantage to Avebury, Wiltshire. They will then fly to the Netherlands. On Monday, July 14, Gynette and Lucy will walk 50km from Arnhem to Nijmegen and back. The final four days of the challenge will see the pair complete the Nijmegen Marches, an iconic walking event, completing 50km each day. It is the second year that the duo has taken on a week-long walking event – their first challenge saw them walk from Saltney to London. Gynette said: 'My walking journey started way back in 2001, when I completed the Full Moon (26.2 miles) at The MoonWalk London. 'I'd actually always wanted to take on the London Marathon, but to be honest, I didn't want to run it. 'I happened to read an article in a health magazine about The MoonWalk and thought it sounded perfect. 'I mentioned it to my friend Clare, who I'd also recently discovered wanted to do the London Marathon. 'We signed up for The MoonWalk, and the rest, as they say, is history! 'I've done The MoonWalk London every single year since, and the atmosphere has always been absolutely fantastic. 'Another reason that I continue walking and raising funds for Walk the Walk is that my auntie and two of my sisters-in-law have all been successfully treated for breast cancer. 'I've also got to know many other people who've been affected by breast cancer in different ways – this really spurs me on. 'Having become a regular marathon walker – I've done around 66 now – I took the step up to Ultra Marathons, of which I've now done 22 plus last year's 7 Ultras in 7 days challenge. 'It was at one of those events – The London to Brighton 100km challenge in 2013, that I bumped into Lucy! 'Since then, we've walked many, many miles together at events. 'Lucy and I can talk for England and that's what we do from start to finish. 'We live a long way from each other – I'm in North Wales and she's in Essex – so, apart from any walking events we do together, we might only see each other socially a couple of times a year.' Lucy added: 'I must admit that I never used to be a long-distance walker! 'In my early twenties I was diagnosed with the chronic fatigue syndrome, ME. 'My main symptoms were severe leg and back spasms - on a good day, I could just about manage a maximum of 20 minutes' exercise at a time. 'After my ME diagnosis, my fitness levels slowly improved, until in 2006, my friend Karina asked me if I fancied walking an overnight marathon, through London, wearing a bra. 'That was my first ever MoonWalk London. 'In 2013 I took on my first 'London to Brighton' challenge – that's when I first met my walking buddy Gynette! 'Since then, we've completed dozens of ultra-marathons together, including London to Brighton many times, the Nijmegen Marches and the famous Camino trail in Spain. 'In 2014, my family's world was rocked when my big sister Ruth, who was five years older than me, was diagnosed with breast cancer. 'For years before her diagnosis, I'd been raising money and awareness for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk and now this cruel disease had hit incredibly close to home. 'Ruth was given the all-clear following treatment, but then in 2016, secondary breast cancer was discovered in her liver. 'She went into a hospice and died on 25th August that year. 'Gynette was a tower of strength for me when Ruth was so poorly – we have an incredible friendship. 'We walk together brilliantly and chat constantly. 'Walking such a long way, my approach is simply to put one foot in front of the other, for quite a long time! 'Gynette and I always support and encourage each other all the way and I can't wait to raise even more money for the wonderful charity Walk the Walk.' To sponsor Gynette and Lucy, visit: 7 Ultras, 7 Days, 2 Countries.