The 2019 Memorial Lecture is to be held at 6 pm on Saturday 5 October at the Rheged Centre, Redhills, Penrith, and will be delivered by Nicky Spinks.
Nicky Spinks is a fellrunning champion who shares with Alfred Wainwright a love for the high places and just being out in the mountains.
Nicky has been running since her teenage years but started running competitively in 2001. In 2004 she learnt about the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District and it became an ambition to complete the round of 42 fells within 24 hours. After a few visits to the Lakes, where she learnt more about hill walking craft than about fellrunning, she attempted the run in June 2005 and completed in 23.35 hours.
In 2006, she learned she had breast cancer but continued running and in 2016 looked for a way to celebrate surviving ten years, choosing the Double Bob Graham as her challenge. Although her winter training was often interrupted by poor weather conditions, she completed the run in May 2016 in a time of 45.3 hours raising £8000 for the cancer charity, Odyssey.
Nicky Spinks said: “When I first learnt of the Bob Graham round in 2004, I asked for a set of Wainwright books for Christmas. Although I haven’t read them cover to cover, I love the books and feel I have a lot in common with Alfred Wainwright. His love of the lesser peaks and the wild fells resonates with me. I also feel happier roaming the fells alone with my dogs than in mass company. I love discovering a small peak and feeling that I have made its day by stopping and admiring the view. I have a passion for open access and encouraging everyone to make full use of the right that we have in this country.”
Tickets for this event are available only from the Box Office at Rheged (Tel: 01768 868000) and are priced at £12.
