The cancellation of local and national mass participation events has had a huge impact on local charity, Lake District Calvert Trust (LDCT). Yet the news that the world- famous Great North Run would no longer take place as planned due to COVID-19 did not stop Caitlin Etisoy and Rosie Cumella from taking on their own challenge in aid of Calvert Trust.
Caitlin, Keswick resident and former LDCT volunteer, held a coveted Calvert charity place in this year’s Great North Run (GNR). On hearing the disappointing, yet understandable announcement that the event would no longer take place, Caitlin registered for the Great North Run Solo and the Virtual Great North Run to raise vital funds for LDCT. The challenge: to complete 40 runs between 28th June – 13th Sept (a run for every year the GNR had taken place) finishing the challenge with an epic, Trail Half-Marathon!
Early Sunday morning, for their final, 40th run, Caitlin and Rosie, set off from Moot Hall on a challenging 13.1 mile route. This took them along Catbells terrace to Grange, Ashness Bridge, Walla Crag then finished at Derwent Water Marina. The pair was accompanied throughout the entire route by Lisa Suttle, Marina Manager at Derwent Water Marina and was met at Grange by a fantastic support crew of Sarah Etisoy, Lou Dodds and Leanne Day.
Caitlin writes about her GNR Challenge: “I was very glad to still complete my GNR distance and continue fundraising for Calvert Trust. I’d like to say a huge thank you to Leanne for running 90% of the runs with me (keeping me motivated throughout the whole process) and to Lisa for being the most amazing support on the day. Another special thank you to Sarah, Lou, Zoe, Nicky and Yvonne for being a brilliant support team!”
From donations to their GNR fundraising pages, Caitlin and Rosie have raised over £900 for Lake District Calvert Trust, enabling more people with disabilities to experience life-enriching outdoor adventures.
Caitlin’s fundraising page: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CaitlinEtisoy
Rosie’s fundraising page: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RosieCumella1
Rosie Cumella, LDCT Fundraising Officer and fellow GNR Solo participant who joined Caitlin for the Virtual Great North Run comments: “It was a fantastic day on Sunday and I’m glad I was able to be part of it (despite the tricky hilly, sections!). It’s been a very challenging time for the Trust. The Great North Run is a fantastic event and an annual highlight in our fundraising calendar. Now more than ever, we are reliant on events such as these to secure vital income to continue our important work. Everyone at Calvert is incredibly grateful to Caitlin for all her hard work training and fundraising, particularly at such a difficult time.”
If you would like to take part in your own virtual fundraising challenge to raise funds for Calvert Lakes, please contact Rosie at [email protected] or call 017687 72255.
