Grandma's '˜little and often' 70-mile challenge

Grandmother-of-three Linda Ablett has been living with a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer for five years, under the care of Mount Vernon Hospital.

Before her diagnosis, Linda and her husband Peter, 73, enjoyed long-distance walking, covering up to 120 miles in a week and visiting many popular routes arcoss Britain.

To challenge herself and indulge her love of the outdoors, Linda set herself the task of completing 70 miles over the course of a year, before her 70th birthday.

Beginning in March 2015, Linda covered from half a mile to three miles each walk, accompanied by her husband, two sons, three grandchildren and friends. She witnessed the 2015 solar eclipse while walking in Ashridge.

In February this year, Linda completed her 70th mile with friends, who put together an album of stories and photos to remember her year.

Linda said: “It’s helped me because the chemo makes me tired. My oncologist recommended not to give in to the tiredness and to exercise a little each day.

“I can’t do 20 miles any more, but I can do a mile or two and I can still have lots of fun.”

Linda raised £140, which has been split between the Hospice of St Francis and Mount Vernon Hospital.