Crystal Palace resident Kate O’Sullivan conquered the London Winter Walk in support of the National Deaf Children’s Society on Saturday, 29 January.
Kate finished the marathon-distance walk, which started and finished at the Oval Cricket Ground and followed the Thames along its 26.2 mile route, in a time of 11 hours, 26 minutes.
So far she’s raised £330 for the charity, which supports the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and their families.
She chose to run for the National Deaf Children’s Society because her youngest daughter Holi is deaf and has cochlear implants. The family is receiving ongoing support from the charity.
Kate, 39, is a hypnobirthing practitioner and is currently studying for a degree in antenatal and postnatal education. She lives in Crystal Palace with her two daughters Mia, 13, and Holi, 3.
Kate said:
“I felt proud but relieved to finish. I certainly wasn’t the fastest but not the last either! I wasn’t going to give up and what kept me going was how the money I raised will help deaf young people.
“We had lots of encouragement from start to finish and I also heard lots of inspiring and moving stories along the way from the participants. It was brilliant to see everyone supporting each other on the way round.
“Holi battles every day like other deaf young people and I wanted to do it for her. Also, it was my thank you for all that the National Deaf Children’s Society does for Holi and me. I truly don’t know what I would do without them and all the help we’ve received.”
Melissa Jones, who supports fundraisers for the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:
“I want to say a huge thank you to Kate for taking on this challenge for us. Conquering a marathon distance, whether walking or running, is a truly awe-inspiring achievement, and we’re so grateful.
“The National Deaf Children’s Society is dedicated to supporting the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and their families. The efforts of selfless fundraisers like Kate will help us to keep on doing our vital work, now and into the future.”
