LifeCycle Malta Foundation sets off to Nescafé LifeWalk Challenge 2021 at Hadrian’s Wall in the UK

Some 32 participants from different walks of life are taking on the rough and grueling Nescafé LifeWalk Challenge 2021 by the LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation over this weekend. Their aim is to raise awareness and funds for the betterment of the life of kidney failure patients in Malta and Gozo. The main sponsor for the challenge is Nescafé that are backing up the LifeWalk 2021 Challenge.

Completing 100 miles in only four days, LifeWalkers are taking an enervating journey across Hadrian’s Wall in the United Kingdom. The group will trek from coast to coast through the beautiful Northumberland countryside for this charity event. This physically and mentally challenging event is being hosted in parallel with the main fundraising LifeCycle Challenge. Organisers expect the LifeWalk event to become another flagship endurance event which shall bring more people from different backgrounds together and assist those in need.

LifeWalk is LifeCycle’s sister fundraising event, which concept the Foundation had been planning for many years. The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic served as the final push to launch this challenge as the LifeCycle 2021, which was supposed to be held in South America, had to be postponed. Nevertheless, LifeWalk participants have an equally demanding task as they are undertaking an average of 30km on foot every day for four consecutive days.

Training sessions for the event started in January and were put on hold for a while by another wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since training relaunched, leading up to the excruciating challenge, participants took part in weekly training sessions marching 20-30 kilometres per session, walking for 6-10 hours in preparation for the herculean challenge.

LifeCycle founder Alan Curry said: “The ambivalence of the challenge is breath-taking. While we are battling an uneven, rough terrain and an unpredictable, harsh weather, we are walking across the rewarding, beautiful scenery of idyllic countryside. All the participants will need to gather their physical and mental wits to complete this demanding challenge.”

LifeWalk Challenge 2021 is a project created by Rush – The Renal Unit Support Hub by the LifeCycle Challenge Malta (VO No. 0529). At present, Rush also provides external help to renal patients including free transport to evening treatment, free fitness sessions, free counseling advice and are now helping the foundation in creating a Wishlist for the year to come.

LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation, the only NGO raising money to support renal patients in Malta, works hand in hand with the Renal Unit medical staff at Mater Dei Hospital and the UM’s kidney disease research team via the University’s Research Trust (RIDT). LifeCycle Foundation also generates awareness about organ transplants in Malta.