Climb every mountain: OAP raises £148k with indoor Suilven hike
● Ninety-year-old inspired by Captain Tom’s fundraiser
She is Scotland’s answer to Captain Tom Moore and was inspired by the English veteran’s own quest that has raised more than £20 million.
Now Margaret Payne, 90, is doing her bit by raising money for the NHS charities and a hospice – through climbing the equivalent of a Highland mountain on her staircase.
Mrs Payne plans to climb the height of Suilven – 2,398ft – by making 282 trips upstairs. She first climbed the peak in 1944 aged 15 with her sister.
She said 99-year-old Capt Moore, who has raised millions for the NHS Charities through a sponsored garden walk, inspired her to take on the climb.
More than 890,000 people have now made donations to Capt Moore’s Justgiving page, with over half a million calling for him to be knighted signing a petition to the Honours Committee.
Mrs Payne started her challenge on Easter Sunday and said she expects it will take her around two months to complete.
By yesterday evening, Mrs Payne passed the £148,000 mark, smashing her £10,000 target.
The challenge is her way of saying thank you to NHS and hospice staff who took care of her late husband, Jim.
She said: “I’m completely overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of everyone who has donated to this amazing cause.
“I felt so inspired by Captain Tom Moore that I wanted to challenge myself to raise what I can for the NHS and Highland Hospice, as a thank you from me for the extraordinary care and support they’ve given to my family, especially my husband and myself.
“My husband died at Christmas and the NHS were absolutely wonderful. So it was a way of saying thank you.”
Mrs Payne, who lives in Ardvar, Sutherland, said she was never a regular hillwalker, having lived with knee problems since she was 12. However, her true passion was fishing and she said that she would walk miles to reach the best spots.
She said: “I do walk around the garden, every nice day.
“I’m always afraid of being blown over now, so when it’s windy I daren’t go.
“Our house stands rather high, facing the prevailing winds so it asks for it a bit.”
Mrs Payne takes on the stairclimbing challenge several times throughout the day, starting in the morning once she is ready and finishing in the late afternoon. Her daughter, Nicky Mcarthur, said she believed the fresh air of northwest Scotland had helped keep her mother healthy.
Shesaid:“mumisstillincredibly active. She is an avid reader and crossword-doer. I think part of it is just staying interested in life.”
Donate by visiting https:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ Margaretpayneardvarsuilvenchallenge
“I’m completely overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of everyone who has donated to this amazing cause”
MARGARET PAYNE