ASL’s Global Account Director, Lucie Harris (pictured back left), has just completed an absolute marathon of a charity walk to raise awareness & funds for Mitochondrial disease. On Sunday 22nd November she and a team of friends decided to go for a stroll - 35 kilometres (22 miles) to be exact! - from Malabar to Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia.
The team took in some beautiful coastal scenery along the way, including Coogee, Bondi Beach and Tamarama.
Lucie commented on the event “I actually only decided 3 days earlier that I would join the charity team, so I didn’t have too much time to prepare. But it is such a worthy cause and such an opportunity to set myself a huge challenge, I just couldn’t say no!”
With almost 1,000 people taking part, the event was well-supported, with most teams taking around 10 hours to complete the course. The last person finished in just under 12 hours, a fantastic achievement all round, considering temperatures hit 29 degrees with very high humidity throughout the day.
Lucie takes up the story “The last 500m were excruciating and felt like a lifetime. To see the finish line, just around the corner from Sydney Opera House, was not only a welcome sight, but also an emotional one. We were so happy to complete the challenge and help support the hundreds of families that are affected by this chronic disease. Apparently, I have been volunteered for the 2021 event already, so perhaps I can get some more training in next time!"
Well done Lucie and team. What a fantastic effort for a very worthy cause.
Mitochondrial disease is an inherited, chronic illness that can be present at birth or develop later in life. It is progressive and can cause physical, developmental, and cognitive disabilities. Symptoms can be mild, such as tiredness or weakness, or they can be severe, such as poor growth, loss of muscle coordination, muscle weakness and pain, seizures, vision and/or hearing loss, gastrointestinal issues, learning disabilities, and organ failure.
Cystic Fibrosis, Motor Neurones Disease, Haemophilia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s can be results of Mitochondrial Disease. Approximately 1 in 4,000 people have the disease. There is no cure, but there are treatments that can help with the symptoms.
To find out more, or make a donation, visit the website
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