Walker training for Inca Trail charity bid

Massage therapist Elly Ingram from Kington, hopes she will be able to complete the Inca Trail in the Peruvian Andes to raise money for Water Aid this year.

Elly was ready to meet the challenge last October – but Covid-19 scuppered her plans.

The 36 year-old had been working on her fitness all year during preparations for the five day trek which goes up to 4,200 metres above sea level.

Instead she completed a virtual Inca Trail challenge over the same distance and amount of days and was presented with a medal.

But now she is clocking up the miles again restarting her training programme in the hope the trek can go ahead in April. If April isn’t possible, it will be moved to later in the year.

Elly said: “I am doing this challenge to raise £4,000 for Water Aid because I think a lot of people take for granted our access to clean water here and reading some of the stories about people walking miles to water sources makes me realise how lucky we are.

“We are so lucky that we have clean water at the turn of a tap in the UK. Some people don’t have it at all, they may have to walk miles to a water source every day, which may not even be clean. It could have animal faeces and parasites in it.

“The charity is aiming to provide clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere within a generation. It is even more important now with the importance of hand washing being highlighted during the pandemic.

“I wanted to challenge myself with something out of my comfort zone, that felt a bit scary for me.

“I have wanted to do it for a while, but was always too scared and didn’t think I’d be fit enough.

“So on New Year’s Eve 2020 everyone was talking about New Year’s resolutions and I decided this would be mine.

”I was disappointed not to be able to do it last year but I have my fingers crossed that I will be able to compete this goal in 2021.”

So far, Elly has been walking around town and up and down Hergest Ridge in preperations for the trek.

The therapist said: “Even though I can get my body used to walking up and down steep hills I won’t really be able to do much to get it used to the altitude, so altitude sickness is a bit of wait and see.”

The former Lady Hawkins pupil is no stranger to fundraising after competing the London Marathon in 2011 and raised £1,600 for Golfal, a Welsh mental health charity.

People can support Elly and Water Aid by visiting https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/elly-ingram-trek.