Team take on charity million steps challenge

A team of East Kent Hospitals staff are defying their disabilities to walk a million steps in a month for charity.

Danielle Brind, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), and Ruth McGuire, who has fibromyalgia, will be joined by colleagues Tyler Iwikau, Kim Moss and Chloe Smith for the challenge in August, in aid of East Kent Hospitals Charity.

They are raising money to support the Trust’s wellbeing team, with a particular focus on mental health support for staff.

Danielle, a team leader with the Trust’s people and culture service desk, said: “I’m very stubborn and I’m determined not to let my MS beat me, so I like to think of crazy challenges I can do.

“I’ve walked 100,000 kilometres in a week before, and completed a sky dive, and when I was looking for the next challenge I found one that involved walking a million steps in 100 days – but that’s only 10,000 steps a day which most people can easily achieve.

“So I decided to make it over a month so that it is a real challenge for us all.”

To complete the challenge, each team member will need to complete more than a half marathon – 13.1 miles – every single day in August.

They are planning early-morning walks, starting at 3am to get their steps in before work, and Danielle, Ruth and Kim are even contemplating walking from their homes in Ashford to work at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

Ruth, 22, who works on the people and culture helpline, said: “I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2018 but I’ve had the symptoms of it since I was 11.

“It affects my memory, I have pain in all my joints and muscles, I suffer from fatigue and I have eye problems and brain fog.

“Sometimes I can’t get up and take a single step, and there is a real risk this challenge will lead to a flare-up but I am determined to complete it and I believe it is achievable.”

Danielle, 31, also suffers with pain and fatigue caused by her MS, and at one point lost the vision in one eye, although it thankfully returned. She was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, which means she suffers episodes where symptoms worsen, followed by times when they slowly improve.

She said: “Sometimes movement is hard, but I started walking during lockdown, often getting up very early in the morning, and it really benefited my mental health as well as my physical health.

“I want to show people that having MS doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. When I was diagnosed I thought I would have to be in a wheelchair, and although that may come in the future, for now I can still keep fit and active and I’m determined to stay that way for as long as I can.”

The team plan to organise cake sales and other fundraising events to help boost their total, and are aiming to raise at least £1,000 for the charity.

You can add to their fundraising at https://ekhcharity.enthuse.com/pf/1millionsteps