Hilton of Cadboll school teacher 'climbs mountain' in Tain to raise £1500 for Mikeysline charity
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AN Easter Ross teacher who gave herself a mountain to climb to raise cash for a charity close to her heart has completed the challenge without setting foot outside her home.
Catriona MacRae (24) decided to climb the equivalent of Mount Kilimanjaro on the stairs of her Tain home as a suitable lockdown-friendly challenge to boost the coffers of Mikeysline, which provides mental health support for young people at a low ebb.
The Hilton of Cadboll primary school teacher kept a tally sheet of her epic endeavour to keep her honest as she aimed to complete a total of 38,680 steps during the month of June.
She had set herself a £700 target and surpassed that with a surge of support which included well-wishers from as far afield as New Zealand and Canada.
She said: "Once I reached the £1000 mark it gave me such a boost and an extra bit of motivation.
"My energy levels were starting to drop and my legs were getting tired but the consistent donations encouraged me to keep going. I was delighted to finish just to give my legs a rest! My sister had suggested early on that I slide down the bannister to save my legs but I didn’t because I felt that would be cheating and I’m not sure if the bannister would have held up! My legs definitely got stronger so now I’ll need to think of a new challenge to keep myself fit.
"I’d like to thank everyone who donated to Mikeysline and supported me in my fundraising efforts. Without them, I wouldn’t have raised such an incredible amount of money."
She added: "I kept a tally sheet every day to track what I had done. It was amazing to see just how many flights I had done!"
When her final step had been taken, she had raised £1500.
She admitted: "In the first week I could barely walk but my muscles got used to it. I’ve had lots of messages from my friends and family that are keeping me going. I’ve even had donations from friends in New Zealand and Canada. Knowing that I’m helping support such a worthy charity is motivating me. What I’m doing is tiny in comparison to the fabulous work Mikeysline do."
Related: Teacher's fundraising challenge sure to have its ups and downs
