Tracey 'Red' Parry prepares for the Arctic Challenge in 2020

I constantly think to myself, what has changed the way I think about myself and getting fit, why am I setting myself a target, a challenge, a to do list?

I first started raising money for charity by supporting my local hospice in Cornwall where I live – I did this for many years. I run my own hairdressing salon and, over a short period of time, two of my clients were diagnosed with breast cancer and sadly passed away. It was then that I decided to search for a specific event I could do to support a breast cancer charity and found out about Walk the Walk and The MoonWalks.

In 2015, I walked The MoonWalk London marathon by myself and loved the whole organised event, leaving on such a high, with my amazing medal. I went home and looked at what I could do next…

I only started walking regularly when I was training for my first MoonWalk – I do like to keep fit but I’m not obsessed with it. I enjoy walking, you can do it anytime to fit in with your day and the bonus is it’s free – I find having a challenge in mind keeps you focused.

Iceland 2016 was next, what a trip, fantastic fantastic fantastic! It was so well organised and I loved that someone else did all the planning. Amongst other things, we went whale watching, climbed a volcano plus saw the fabulous Dettifoss waterfall. I went back the following year and achieved The Three Land Challenge (London, Scotland and Iceland) another great event with only a week between the Scotland and Iceland MoonWalks. I really wanted the medal as it’s a whopper! but I made sure I had trained properly to be able to do three 26.2 marathons in 5 weeks.

In 2018, I was hungry for another adventure and Peru was the one for me. What a fantastic challenge, walking through the Sun Gate to see one of the 7 wonders of the world…Machu Picchu, phenomenal! 

Psst!... you can read all about Tracey's Inca Trail Peru challenge here!

Dublin Marathon 2018, again another great event – I loved the whole experience.

This year (2019), I introduced my fourteen year old daughter, Izzy who, at last, was able to join me in the Half Moon Challenge in London. She was so excited and we had a fantastic evening. Izzy loved it and I’m sure we will be walking together again.

I’m very busy running the salon and just being a mum so when I go out walking I feel that it’s just a little time for me. My fitness levels have grown so much and I’m loving life with my new found energy. Since 2015, Walk the Walk have giving me opportunities to go to the most amazing places, places I never imagined I would ever visit.

WOW! I am so excited for my next adventure. I am 55 years old…I AM STILL ABLE and that’s one of my thoughts when I question, shall I? Could I? Would I be able to do this?

So 2020…

In February, I am challenging myself to do The Artic Challenge. A backcountry skiing marathon like no other! We will be discovering the breathtaking snow covered landscape in the subarctic circle of Swedish Lapland, the centre of the Aurora zone and home to stunning wildlife. I’m really hopeful that we might see the Northern Lights. We’ll be sleeping in cosy mountain huts and going husky sledging as well. We will be spending one night in the Ice Hotel, another thing I’ve always wanted to do, so I can’t wait!

I’ve never skied before but I’ll be taking some lessons. One of my Walk the Walk pals, Andy, did the Arctic Challenge this year and loved it so much that he has signed up to go back again next year. He’d never skied before either but took some lessons. Andy has kindly offered to do some skiing lessons with me to build up my confidence.

I followed so many of my Walk the Walk friends as they completed a team challenge at The Nijmegen Marches in July of this year. I have decided that my next challenge in July 2020 will be to do the Nijmegen Marches myself. That will be 4 marathons over 4 days so a huge challenge by anyone’s standards.

I have met the most amazing, inspiring and beautiful people, making friends forever on my Walk the Walk Challenges and I plan on carrying on walking and challenging myself for as long as I can.

Feeling inspired by Tracey? Take a look at our challenges... where will you walk in 2020?!