Hundreds of Scots are preparing to conquer all 282 Munros in an effort to raise money for stroke survivors.
The Step Up challenge will see people from across the country take to their stairs on Friday, May 1 to recreate the height of some of Scotland's tallest Munros.
The fundraising bid is to aid Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland after they revealed the Covid-19 pandemic has put a strain on money for their services 'when people need help the most'.
People who want to take part are asked to choose their preferred Munro, register as a participant and take on the challenge at the beginning of next months.
Two stroke survivors will be taking part in the virtual challenge as a testament to their respective recoveries.
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Chris Robinson, 40, from Aberdeen, suffered a serious stroke in November, 2018, which left him unable to walk.
He was told it would be a long time before he could walk again.
“Going from walking one day to not being able to the next was a massive change for me but to be honest I never stopped to focus too much on what I couldn’t do," Chris explained. "I was overcome with determination to get back to walking.
“With walking being the one thing that was most affected by my stroke, I wanted to create a challenge which encompassed walking. I have spent the past year learning to walk again and although I can walk now, I am still only at 80%. I have to think about every footstep before I take it.
“I had been planning to conquer 10 peaks over the course of 2020 to help me with my recovery and to raise money for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. They were always there at the end of the phone if I needed them.
“I didn’t want to let lockdown put my recovery journey on hold so when I found out Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland were doing the Munro Challenge; I knew it was something I wanted to do. I have worked really hard to get to where I am today and it’s great to be part of this Scotland-wide team taking on this walking challenge.”
Douglas Sewell, 61 from Inverness, had a severe stroke in 2010. He struggled with everyday things like walking, speaking and eating.
Now, he'l;l be camping in his garden for the seven days leading up to his Munro challenge.
He said: “Every year since the stroke I’ve tried to progress my recovery by doing something more challenging.
"This began with just being able to walk confidently, and then walking greater distances, walking up Munro’s again and last year walking the Scottish National Trail (536 miles).
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"I’ve always incorporated this with raising money for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. The support I received from their stroke nurse, Geraldine, really helped me to build confidence and overcome the situation."
He added: “I’m not going to let Covid-19 stop me from continuing to get healthy and fit or from doing challenges to raise money for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.”
Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “Douglas and Chris are the perfect example of no life half lived. They didn’t let a stroke stop them from rebuilding their lives and now they’re not letting the coronavirus outbreak stop their recovery and fundraising efforts.
“It is so inspiring to see all the amazing ways that people are fundraising from their homes. We need donations now more than ever before. Because of coronavirus money for our services is running out, just when people need our help most. But you can change that. You can walk with Douglas and Chris on Friday 1st May and help raise vital funds.”
To join Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s virtual Munro walking challenge visit: chss.org.uk/step-up
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