Moonwalk helped turn negative into positive
● Exercising to Netflix inspires epic charity walk in husband’s memory
A widow has revealed how cycling along to a range of hit Netflix series has helped inspire her to take on the epic Moonwalk Scotland in memory of her late husband.
Alison Payne admitted she was in a “bad place” after partner Jude passed away in 2015 following a battle with NonHodgkin’s lymphoma, adding she struggled with “loneliness” while at home with children Thomas, ten and Rachel, eight.
However Alison, 40, said regular physical exercise had helped her “turn a very negative experience into something positive” as she continues her preparation for the marathon walk in June, crediting shows such as House of Cards and Stranger Things for helping keep her motivated.
She will now j oin a close group of school friends to take on the challenge to raise funds aimed at helping projects such as the Maggie’s Centre at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital, where she received one t o one s uppor t af t er Jude passed. Alison, from Portobello in Edinburgh, said: “Being a couple with young kids, both of us would just collapse onto the sofa at night and put something on, but I had never really found a way to experience that feeling again after Jude passed.”
“I bought an exercise bike and started watching Netflix; films, tv programmes, whatever it was and I would just cycle until it finished. I was really surprised at the positive mental boost that exercising had given me as well as improving my fitness levels.”
The f i ve - s t r o ng t e a m o f friends – who met at Portobello High School – chose to take on the challenge as part of their birthday celebrations, with all the members turning 40 this year.
She said: “We’ve all been affected by cancer in different ways, and all have our own reasons for taking on the challenge. You lose yourself, it wasn’t the loss of Jude, it was the loss of the life I had, finding things where I can make a difference has helped. I needed to turn a very negative experience into something positive and exercising and training for The Moonwalk has allowed me to do that.”
The Moonwalk has become one of the most popular charity fundraisers in the country, with its combination of physical effort and a unique, carnival- style atmosphere attracting men, women and young people of all backgrounds to take part.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and TV presenter Lorraine Kelly are among t he well- known names to have experienced the event first hand, but more than 86,000 others have taken part in the midnight walks in previous years, raising an incredible £ 21.3 million.