We are delighted to be supporting Penny on her 227 mile journey along the length of the River Severn. Each year, Penny and her family set themselves a challenge to complete a long distance trail. This year; Penny, her mother (Fran) and younger brother (Dominic), plan to complete their River Severn adventure through a combination of hiking, canoeing and biking. An impressive challenge in it’s own right but as Penny, aged 12, has a diagnosis of Turner Syndrome, Hypotonia (low muscle tone), and other physical challenges, her journey will be even more remarkable.
Turner syndrome is a female only genetic disorder that affects around 1 in 2000 girls. Symptoms are wide ranging and can vary across individuals affected, but the two main clinical features are short stature and non-functioning ovaries. Penny is determined to raise awareness of the disorder and so please do check out the Turner Syndrome Support Society web-site and help spread awareness: https://tss.org.uk/. By sharing her story through this and other adventures past, present and future, Penny would like to provide inspiration to other children who also have challenges in their lives. And with regard to some of those future adventures and ambitions, Penny and her family already have 2025 earmarked, when Penny is 18, for a hike to Everest base camp!
Whilst Penny is no stranger to hiking long distances, she does find cycling a challenge. Therefore our grant will contribute towards buying an e-bike for Penny to help with the biking part of their River Severn journey and, of course enable many more cycle rides and adventures after that with her Mum and brother.
In addition to completing the 227 mile journey, Penny and her brother Dominic have also taken on a secondary challenge. With the support of the Environment Agency and their pollution kit, Penny and Dominic will collect samples and test the river water at various stages along the route. Although we must mention that Penny and Dominic are no strangers to caring for our environment, having already been named as Shropshire’s Environmental Champions last year for their commitment to litter picking. This is something else they are also committed to do by the way throughout their River Severn journey!
As you can probably tell, we at Cam and Bear absolutely loved Penny’s application and are so pleased and proud that we can help, in part at least, Penny’s next adventure. We look forward to hearing all about it and of course sharing lots and lots of photos #andyband.