DETERMINED Penola resident Katrina Hutchesson will be walking the equivalent of a staggering three marathons during October in an effort to raise awareness of heart disease.
Ms Hutchesson wanted to set the challenge and push herself with the walk, trekking a total of 126km this month to support the Heart Foundation and the information it provides.
“A few years ago my husband, in his late 40s, suffered a heart attack, which was a huge shock as he was quite active, but had high blood pressure, which we didn’t realise was a risk factor for heart disease,” Ms Hutchesson said.
“Luckily after he was flown to Adelaide to have a stent inserted, he very quickly returned to full health and hasn’t missed a beat since.”
Ms Hutchesson said the free information supplied by the Heart Foundation via the cardiac rehabilitation program at the Mount Gambier Hospital was vital in the part it played in his recovery and managing his health.
The walk will also be a personal challenge for Ms Hutchesson as she suffers from the hereditary neurological disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth, affecting nerves in her arms and legs.
“Due to the disease, my feet are fairly numb and it can make walking awkward,” Ms Hutchesson said.
“I used to play a lot of sport, including hockey, badminton and athletics, now I have difficulty holding onto a racket, so it will be a challenge, but it is worth it for the cause.”
Ms Hutchesson said she wanted to give back to the Heart Foundation and ensure people were aware of what to do if they have a heart issue.
Heart Foundation SA chief executive officer Imelda Lynch said over a third of South Australians were not engaging in enough exercise, so making physical activity easier for all was important in reducing the risk of heart disease.
“That is why we have launched the MyMarathon challenge as it is an ideal way for people of all fitness levels to increase their exercise and improve heart health, while raising funds to fight heart disease,” Ms Lynch said.
The MyMarathon challenge runs throughout October and encourages people of all fitness levels to run or walk the equivalent of a marathon (42.2km) in their own time over a month.
Visit mymarathon.com.au for more information.
