"Hello, I’m Gina Collins and I work as the Wills and Trust Officer at Mencap. I have worked for Mencap for over 25 years."
"I took on the Thames Path Challenge because I wanted to make myself very proud of what I could achieve, challenging myself to take on something new.
I’ve always enjoyed walking since I was a child and now it has become part of my routine. I have been walking 10 miles every Monday to Friday during and after work, and doing up to 15 miles on the weekends.
“Being consistent with training and believing in myself, made me ready to take on the Thames Path challenge.”
I took breaks every 4 miles when training for big walks as I found this really important, and my overall health has improved. As a result, I only took 1 break throughout the Thames Path Challenge. When I found it difficult along the way, whether that was during my training or the challenge itself, I remembered why I was doing this. To prove that I or anyone can do it!"
"Advice that I would share to anyone interested in taking on their own challenge would be “lots of preparation, try to relax beforehand, plan your day ahead about how to get to and from the venue, train a lot and know your limit”.
"The night before the challenge, I felt excited, I couldn’t wait to do it. As soon as I had started, I knew what was ahead. My parents were with me at the start line and cheered for me. I found the first and last mile the hardest, but I just felt proud of myself. My older sister, Lisa, cycled all the way through the challenge with me and supported me. As well as my colleague, Christina, who joined me along the route, we chatted all the way from Kew Bridge to Richmond.
The moment I crossed the finish line, my siblings congratulated me and gave me a big hug. I felt proud of myself because I knew I had done it, and I knew my family and colleagues also felt the same.
Walking 17.25 miles and completing the challenge was not easy, but I knew I had support from friends, family and colleagues along the way. I would like to do it again and would definitely encourage people to take on their own challenge."
Gina raised £1,924 for Mencap to continue our work in supporting people with a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. to live happy and healthy lives.
Colleagues at Mencap supported Gina’s walking journey and can’t wait to see what challenge she takes on next!