Golden Girls Raise £5K for Army Family
A group of nine women from Dundee and Angus have completed one of Scotland’s toughest endurance challenges, raising £4706 in the process.
Led by Team Captain Rhona Guild from Kirriemuir, the Golden Girls team took part in the Army Benevolent Fund’s Cateran Yomp. They joined almost 1,000 soldiers, veterans, and civilians from across the world by walking 22, 36, or 54 miles in 24 hours.
The Golden Girls!
Participants aged 16 to 79 headed off on the Cateran Trail in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains in the early hours of Saturday 8 June 2024, returning to Blairgowrie on Sunday 9 June. Supported by headline sponsor Babcock, this year’s event fell just two days after the 80th anniversary of D-Day and coincided with the charity’s 80th anniversary.
Joining Rhona were Beverly Smeaton, Susie Logan, Deborah Kenward and Carol Coutts from Forfar, Sharron Wright, Megan Avolio and Michelle Rena from Dundee and Hilary Smith from Kirriemuir.
Three of the team completed Silver (36 miles) with six completing Gold.
The ladies’ friend, Denise Mill from Dundee, represented the much-needed support team, along with Eddie Kempsey from Nottingham, who Rhona and Beverly first met in 2019 when he joined their team.
In what was her third Yomp, Beverly, who combines her work with the University of Dundee’s External Relations department with that of a fitness instructor, said, “The Yomp is an amazing experience, so well-organised. You’re only ever six miles away from a stop. So much food, water, tea, coffee and words of encouragement. Our support crew were also brilliant and we can’t thank them enough. It’s also addictive – we very much plan to be back in 2025!”
The Army’s National Charity, the Army Benevolent Fund provides a lifetime of support to serving soldiers, former soldiers, and their immediate families when they are in need.
The Cateran Yomp has raised millions of pounds for the charity, with donations funding everything from wheelchair ramps for soldiers’ homes, to respite care and personal recovery plans for injured soldiers returning from the front line. In FY 23/24 alone, the charity supported around 75,000 members of the Army Family in 51 countries around the world. The youngest beneficiary was just one day old, with the eldest aged 104.
Supported by headline sponsor Babcock International Group, this year’s event was also sponsored by Arnold Clark and Castle Water. The Cateran Yomp also works with a range of local sponsors who donate gifts in kind for the event, including Gin Bothy.
For more information, visit https://soldierscharity.org/yomp or https://www.facebook.com/cateranyomp.
ENDS