A Northumberland man gearing up for the challenge of a lifetime is perhaps the only person in the North East wishing for more wintery weather!
Tim Hakim from Hexham is in serious training for his gruelling climb up the North Face of the famous Eiger Mountain in the Bernese Alps in March to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK, a feat made all the more impressive as Tim himself was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013.
However, the lack of snow across the country this winter has meant Tim’s training regime has had to be adapted to suit the milder weather.
Tim explains “Ideally I would be spending my weekends trekking and climbing in snowy conditions to prepare me for what the Eiger will be like, but we’ve struggled to find any snow, even in the Highlands of Scotland! Instead I am concentrating on building my stamina and fitness, but would love a good flurry of snow across the Lake District to get stuck into!”
Tim has already raised a fantastic £3,500 in sponsorship before he heads off to Switzerland, and is keen to raise even more through a variety of fundraising events and via his Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/ParkinsonsNorthFaceClimb
Suzanne McKenna, North East and Cumbria Regional Fundraising at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Tim’s determination to raise vital funds for Parkinson’s UK whilst taking on such an amazing challenge continues to inspire everyone at the charity. We hope his efforts also inspire others diagnosed with Parkinson’s to keep doing the things they love.
“The funds raised by Tim will allow Parkinson’s UK to continue with its vital research work to find a cure, and improve the lives of the 127,000 people living in the UK who are affected by Parkinson’s.”
For further information on events taking place in the local area visit www.parkinsons.org.uk/events or email fundraising@parkinsons.org.uk