Midwife will trek across desert

1:29pm Sunday 1st June 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A midwife is marking her 60th birthday and silver wedding anniversary by trekking in the Sahara Desert.

Lynne Bilton - who retires this year - suffered from breast cancer and will do the trek to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.

She said: "I've had some major events in my life recently. I had breast cancer in 2004 and so have some insight into what it does to lives."

She added: "Also, the after effects it's left me with, which are long term, are more bearable because of the support I get from Marie Curie.

"This year I turn 60, retire and have a special wedding anniversary. I've felt I wanted to do a big trek for some time now.

"In 2005, just before his 50th birthday, my husband, Steve, did a trek in the Sinai Desert and I think I decided then that one day, when I could, I would do it. At that time I wasn't fully recovered so it seemed almost impossible.

"This is to prove that in spite of what's happened and despite my age, I can do it."

Mrs Bilton, who lives at Flappit Springs, near Cullingworth, needs to raise £2,000 and is so far almost half way to her target.

The trek - in November - is over five days and having injured her knee this year, Mrs Bilton thinks descending steep hills will be the most physically demanding part of her journey.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Mrs Bilton should visit her web page at justgiving.com/lynnebilton2.