‘I would walk 500 miles!’
Dedicated Izzie, 14, has raised more than £5k in her nan’s name
DETERMINED schoolgirl Izzie Klucznik has raised £5,000 for charity in memory of her beloved grandmother.
The 14-year-old walked a total of 500 miles over the summer holidays to raise cash to fund research into motor neurone disease (MND).
Izzie, from Ipstones, lost her 63-year-old nan Angie Klucznik to the disease in 2018. She decided to do something to help others with the illness and set herself the mammoth task of walking 400 miles over the summer – but ended up walking 500.
The money she raised will go to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, set up by former Scottish rugby player Doddie Weir OBE, who revealed he was suffering from MND in June 2017.
Izzie said: “My nan was my best friend, I used to do everything with her. I saw first-hand what the disease does.
“Doddie Weir really inspired me, seeing how much he has raised when he’s got the disease himself. I thought, ‘I want to help people with the disease.’
“Over lockdown I had a lot of time to think. I knew I wanted to do some fundraising but I didn’t know what to do.
“My mum came up with the idea of walking. I knew I wanted to do 500 miles, but mum said to do 400 to take the pressure off me.
“But I ended up doing 500 anyway.”
Izzie has been accompanied for most of her walks by her border collie Pip, and family and friends have also joined her along the way. She started on July 4 and hit the 500 mile mark during her first week back at school.
Having initially set a fundraising target of £400, Izzie was amazed by how her total soared during the challenge. She said: “To have reached £5,000 is amazing.
“It’s absolutely wonderful how generous people have been. I just want to say thank you very much to everyone who supported me, it means the world.”
Angie, of Longsdon, was an integral part of Stoke-on-trent firm IAE for many years, working alongside her husband – and company chairman – David. Their children Frank – Izzie’s dad – and Katie also joined the business and are joint managing directors.
Angie was diagnosed with MND in December 2015 after undergoing multiple tests and passed away just under three years later, on September 13, 2018.
Izzie’s mum Natasha, aged 39, said: “Angie was a really fit, active lady. Towards the end she could not speak or feed herself. It was terrible. Izzie was old enough to see what happened to her nan and she said she wanted to help other people going through the same thing.
“She is a total inspiration to us. She has gone out in all weathers and kept going, she has just been so determined to do it. We are so proud of her.”
The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was set up in November 2017. It raises funds to aid research into MND and provide support for those who are touched by the disease.
To make a donation visit Izzie’s Justgiving page at www.justgiving. com/izzie-klucznik.