The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
It’s one wheel on from Laggan for charity pair
Two north-east students are taking on a huge 73-mile trek on unicycles in memory of two loved ones who died of cancer.
Iona Copley and Gemma Shaw are raising thousands of pounds for Cancer Research UK as they take on the Great Glen Way on just one wheel each next month.
The Hatton of Fintray friends have estimated it will take them four days to complete the challenge, which stretches across the Highlands from Inverness to Fort William.
Miss Shaw’s father, Adrian Shaw, died aged 53 in June last year following a battle with bladder cancer.
And Miss Copley’s uncle, Huntly man John Taylor, died in August 2016 age 62 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
The pair have raised a huge £3,487 to date – almost £1,000 in excess of their initial target.
Miss Shaw, a Cambridge University veterinary medicine student, said the Highland route had been chosen as her father had taken part in the Great Glen Paddle there several years ago. Mr Shaw also bought his daughter her first ever unicycle.
The pair added it had taken quite some time to get used to the unicycles, but they had no reservations about taking on the journey.
Miss Shaw, 20, said: “We both lost people to cancer and both thought it would be a good idea. Iona has been unicycling for much longer, I got a unicycle for Christmas. I have had to start training a lot.
“Training was quite hard. Both of us hadn’t really thought of trying something like this before.
“It took quite a few months to learn to do. Once you can do it, it’s fine. Both of us quite like doing other types of sports. I do rowing.
“The route is quite well set up for walkers and cyclists. But I think it will still be a challenge.”
Miss Copley, also 20, studies geology at Aberdeen University.
Miss Shaw added: “I hadn’t really done anything like this before. Our first target was £2,500 and we have passed that now. We had to put it up a few months ago.
“We’d love to be able to keep putting that target up. We didn’t expect to raise so much.
“It is such an important charity to us both, and we would love to raise as much as we possibly can to help their amazing work.”
The pair will undergo the Great Glen Way from April 6 to 9.
Ruth Blackwell, Cancer Research UK’s senior central fundraising executive, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Gemma and Iona have decided to take on this unique challenge to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK.
“They have both been doing lots of fundraising and training and we’re sure they are both going to have the experience of a life time.
“We can’t thank Gemma and Iona enough for their support and want to wish them the very best with their insane challenge.”
To donate to their unicycle challenge, visit: https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/ gemma-c-shaw