Chief exectuive will compete in gruelling cycling challenege
The head of a leading Aberdeen charity is set to undertake a 236-mile cycle across the country.
Archie Foundation chief executive Paula Cormack will join the 76-strong Coast 2 Coast team in cycling 236 miles from Gairloch to Aberdeen.
The route will see the cyclists climb a total of 3,250 metres over the course of the 3 days, with Paula choosing to add the additional and gruelling Bealach Na Ba ascent - the UK's longest road climb to the schedule.
Speaking on this additional challenge, Paula said: "I decided that if I'm asking friends and family to sponsor me, then the 380km alone won't cut it, and I'll need to take on at least one of the extras.”
The Archie Foundation, which helps support sick children and their families, is one of four charities supported by this year's bp Coast to Coast Challenge.
Eighteen cyclists have chosen to focus their fundraising on Archie's Baird Appeal and have set themselves the challenge to raise £20,000 towards Archie's £2m appeal to deliver the new Baird Family Hospital.
Their collective fundraising currently sits at £15,394, and with just a couple of days to go until they set off.
The new Baird Family Hospital at Aberdeen's Foresterhill campus is currently under construction with a target opening date of Autumn 2024. The Baird Appeal will help deliver the "extras," such as additional equipment that goes beyond core NHS provision.
Paula said she was inspired by the birth of her own children: "My boys' arrivals into the world were hugely significant moments for our family, but they were very straightforward and, in the nicest sense, entirely uneventful. My role has made me acutely aware that not every family is as fortunate, and the work that The Archie Foundation does makes the most incredible difference for families during their most desperate times.
"I'm a big believer in practicing what you preach, and I'm also a firm believer that fundraising can help you achieve what might at first seem impossible. When you invite friends and family to sponsor you, it helps keep you on track when you have those wee wobbles of confidence that might otherwise lead you to give up.
