It's off the buses for Easter Ross man as he tackles Great Glen challenge
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AN Easter Ross bus driver who either runs or cycles the 12 miles to work come hail or shine is set to take on another challenge for a cause close to his heart this weekend.
Alex Gilmour, who lives in Alness and gets to the Stagecoach bus depot in Tain under his own steam, believes he is more than ready for the Great Glen Way challenge, which he will run and walk in aid of Alzheimer Scotland.
Alex, who admits to always having been "active", told the Ross-shire Journal: “I was looking for a challenge for myself when I passed my 60th birthday last year. So I spoke to Alzheimer Scotland about a sponsored run up the Great Glen Way between Fort William and Inverness.
“I have always been an active person but with no interest in sports running. Walking and cycling have always been my transport so the concept of running from place to place has its own appeal. My commute is from Alness to Tain, where I am based as a bus driver – the 12 miles is an ideal distance.”
The importance of raising funds for Alzheimer Scotland was brought home to Alex when his mother developed dementia.
He explained: “It is very easy to go through life with blinkers on when something doesn’t affect you directly. But since my mother developed dementia a couple of years ago the scale of the condition comes home to you. Almost everyone you speak to knows someone affected even at one stage removed.”
He said: "I will be running the 78 miles up the Great Glen. One of the reasons I chose the route is it is possible for non-runners to cycle along with me. At the moment there are approximately seven cyclists willing to join me on the route. The secondary reason I am doing this is to up people’s activity levels.”
Alex is already planning his next step. He said: “The plan is to do longer runs in the future while it is possible to do so and this will also be for Alzheimers.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation, however modest, should visit www.justgiving.com/Alex-Gilmour
