I'm walking 31 Miles in May for Dementia UK
Hi all
This May, I'm planning to walk at least a mile every day and possibly more, to raise money for the Dementia UK charity.
I am challenging myself to walk every day in memory of my mum Nesrin, and with every step I will feel immensely grateful to everyone who helped her and us through challenging times. I will never forget the support of family and friends as well as the precious support mum received from the magnificent group of people who loved and cared for her.
As I learned more about dementia it became apparent that nearly everyone I spoke to had in some way been touched by this cruel disease – I realised we were certainly not alone.
The aim is to challenge myself, walk with friends and family along the way, and spread awareness of this condition that mum and many of my aunts and uncles lived with for so long.
Hopefully this can go some way towards helping people and their loved ones live with dementia in the future. As I walk on, I'll be thinking of all those I know who are going through this hardship everyday and everyone who devotes their precious time to helping.
Many thanks
Esin
My Achievements
Shared Page
Updated Profile Pic
Added a Blog Post
You've Self Donated!
Received 5 Donations
Reached Fundraising Goal
Increased Target Over £250
My Updates
Week 3 - 23.6 miles
Tuesday 26th MayDay 16 – Leavesden park run, Bushey and Watford (4.5 miles) Slow park run at 9am, In the afternoon Tij and I walked from Bushey to Watford Palace Theatre to see our brilliant Joseph perform in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. A joy to walk with Julie Dolbear after the show. She was injured but she still hobbled along with us, no moaning or complaints, before her long drive home back to Dorset.
Day 17 – City of London ( 5.5 miles) A wonderful historic London City walk with all the family. Thank you to Helen, Deniz and Rafee for leading us and for their delicious home- made brownies which we devoured at our half way point. We discovered so many hidden gems. Thank you to Paul Mylrea for joining us too! It was a precious, beautiful, peaceful day with everyone, in memory of mum.
Day 18 – Edgware ( 1 mile) A one mile walk with Chris in our lunch break. Fastest walk ever, Christopher walks 100mph, my little legs couldn’t keep up.
Day 19 – Leavesden park after work walk (2.5 miles)
Day 20 – Abbots Langley (1.6 miles) After work lap around the park and fields.
Day 21 – Edgware and Abbots ( 1 mile) part of the mile today was a little warm up walk around the school field before I made a fool of myself trying to play rounders with my young, sporty London Academy colleagues.
Day 22 – Blenheim Palace ( 7.5 miles) – Beautiful sunny day, the gardens were stunning. We walked along the lakeside to the cascade, back to the secret gardens and then over to do the maze, which is quite frankly nerve wracking.
Share
week 2 - 20.2 miles
Wednesday 20th MayDay 9, Leavesden park run and Canons Park ( 5.9 miles) Very slow park run! In the afternoon I had a glorious sunny walk with Tij. Walked from The Hive football ground through to Canons Park.
Day10, Abbots Langley ( 4.1 miles) Jeff and I walked to Abbots High Street, through Leavesden park and farmland. The bird song in the woods was amazing; we had to stop a few times just to listen.
Day 11, Bentley Priory, Stanmore ( 1.8 miles) Met up with Hattie after work for a quick walk after work. Great to catch up with my lovely bud, before she headed back home to South London.
Day 12, Leavesden park ( 1.7 miles) Brief walk after work.
Day 13, Sydmar Lodge Care Home, Mill Hill (1.3 miles) After 4 months we returned to the wonderful team at Sydmar Lodge who loved and cared for Mum and us for 3 years!! Going back was emotional, my tummy was in knots as I arrived after work, but it felt so right to be back and to thank everyone personally for making mum’s journey as comfortable and as dignified as it could be! Julie Davey, Cristina, Emel, Ersoy and I shared our very special 1 mile for Dementia together!
Day 14, Leavesden park ( 1.3 mile) Brief walk after work.
Day 15, Leavesden, Abbots Langley, Brickett Wood (3.8 mile) Friday after work walk. The sun came out and 1 mile became nearly 4. Jeff and I walked a great circuit, from Abbots, through to surrounding fields and woods near Brickett Wood.
Share
Day 8, Edgware and Abbots Langley ( 2.6 miles)
Saturday 9th May Janan and I met up in our lunch break to do a loop around Edgware, by the duck pond. We walked fast, talked quickly and before we knew it we'd walked 1.2 miles. It was absolutely perfect spending time with my special girl! After work did a further 1.4 miles with Jeffers around the woods and surrounding fields of Leavesden park. Share
My first 7 days , 33.3 miles
Saturday 9th May
Day 1, Sarajevo ( 8 miles) I had the pleasure of starting day one in Bosnia. Jeff and I had the most beautiful peaceful stroll through Sarajevo. Walked along Miljacka river into the old town, paused the walk to get a cable car up to Trebevic mountain, the site of winter Olympics 1984. It was great to ramble along the abandoned, stylishly graffitied bob sleigh track. I tried to imagine it 40 years earlier, with those incredible Olympians whizzing down the mountain. I remember watching it on TV ( showing my age!). It was absolutely stunning up there, a superb panoramic view of Sarajevo below, views of snow-capped mountains above. What a way to start my month of walking, I felt incredibly grateful to be there!
Day 2,Mostar (8 miles). Another breathtaking morning walk through the cobbled streets of Mostar, a mix of medieval and Ottoman architecture, it felt like a million miles and years away from the new builds of Abbots Langley! The early wake up, admiring Stari Most (Old Bridge) as the sun rose, avoiding the afternoon crowds, being able to take big strides as opposed to shuffling, was definitely worth it! The walk by the emerald, green Neretva River was wonderful and again I thanked my lucky stars for being there!
Day 3, Mostar and Sarajevo ( 6 miles) – Another super walk around Mostar. I made a mental note of the clear blue skies, turquoise waters, as I knew we were catching a bus soon to leave. Back at Sarajevo, in the evening, our walk took us by the Eternal Flame, a memorial dedicated to the victims and liberators of WW11, burning continuously since 1946! We saw a few of the 200 Sarajevo roses, concrete scars on the ground, made by the mortar shell explosions, marking the location where at least three people were killed through the Sarajevo war. It was a quiet, pensive walk, we thought of the loss and turmoil that had been there.
Day 4, Sarajevo and Abbots Langley ( 4 miles) – 2 miles in each country, I had a morning stroll in the glorious sunshine before we headed to the airport. A cloudier, much colder walk in Leavesden park in the UK in the afternoon.
Day 5, Leavesden country park ( 1.5 miles) - a brief walk around the park after work, back to wearing layers and a padded jacket!
Day 6, Elstree, Aldenham Park ( 2.4 miles) – Met up with Em and Tij after work, lovely walk from The Village in Elstree through to Aldenham Park. So good to spend precious time with my Emel Aba and Tijicik. My canims.
Day 7, Leavesden country park and virtual walk in Winchester ( 3.4 miles) – Had a lovely call with Lynne as she walked around picturesque Winchester and me in my local fields up to Abbots Langley. Her views definitely beat mine! Great to share my walk with my beautiful friend!
Thank you to my Sponsors
£50
Meliz Mustafa
£50
Janan
Let's go! Thank you for doing this and for such a wonderful cause ❤️ Always proud of you
£50
Fev Kalade
Go Esin. Go Esin !! A lovely idea. A chance to remember your mum and help others with this disease in the future. Have a wonderful month and best of luck with your challenge.
£50
Stephen Hewitt
£50
Deniz Huseyin
Walk the walk, talk the talk, my friend!
£50
David Peters
Congrats on your fab walks. Delighted to share one with you. Lots of love
£50
Nesha Kagan
What a great cause Eşin so very close to our family’s hearts Love you , good luck and enjoy
£40
Jan Arif
This cause is very close to our hearts. So proud of you for doing this walk — every step means something. ❤️
£33
Selen & Miguel
Such a beautiful way to honour Teyze 🤍 Incredible of you to take on this challenge. Sending so much love xx
£33
Yasmin Veysi
£33
Sue Shaw
We miss your mummy so much. Sending lots of love, Angela and Sue xxx
£33
Julie
My beautiful friend inside and out ❤️ you're amazing! Our very own Forest Gump!
£33
Misha Suchak
Well done Esin on your challenge for Dementia. You got this!!!
£33
Little Emel
This is such a lovely thing to do to honour Teyze and a great cause. I hope your walk brings you everything that you need too (reminds me of the book Wild ). Sending lots of love and support ❤️
£33
Caroline Field
Good luck Esin….i know you will smash it 💓
£33
Julie Davey
With love, all at Sydmar Lodge x
£33
Filiz Veysi
£33
Sal
Well done Es, for raising funds for such an important cause 👍
£33
Emel Hussein
Well done Es , Mum would be proud ☺️
£30
Sami Huseyin
So glad you’re raising money for an amazing cause xx
£30
Sami Huseyin
£30
Desi Ahmet
Go cuz! So proud of you innit 🥹
£25
Paul Mylrea
Well done. You're doing an amazing thing. Thank you
£20
Susie Mejuto
Well done darling, you are doing amazing 🩷
£20
Anita Lucas
Well done, Esin! Such a beautiful thing to do. I'm sure your mum was with you every step of the way. xx
£20
John Johnston
congratulations and keep going x
£20
Robert & Pauline Melzack
Well done Esin, Emel and the whole family for honouring your mum in this amazing way. Such a lovely thing to do.
£20
Yeşim And Ayşen
Love from Yeşim and Ayşen xxx
£20
Dee Masters
Well done hun x
£20
Wendy Reith
As a carer for my husband who is unwell with Alzheimer’s I sympathise with anyone who is suffering with this illness.
£20
Helen
Brilliant effort!
£20
Hattie And Colin
Go girl, such an important charity and a lovely way to honour your Mum xx
£20
Kelly Taylor
Thinking of you lovely .. Happy to contribute towards a great cause Xxx
£19
Hani
Esin, Im so incredibly proud of you for doing this💗 Dementia has taken so much from our family and we are still facing this battle daily. So, thank you for running in honour of everyone affected. You really are my inspiration Es, I love you soo much 💗💗
£19
Anonymous
£10
Taylan Hussein
Well done for organising this and smashing your target xx
£10
Emma Jeffrey
Go Esin!! 😍
£10
Simon
£10
Cemaliye Mamali
hope it helps xxx
£10
Anonymous
£10
Lucy Glass
Well done. I’m so proud of you my amazing friend xx
£10
So proud of you mama, and granny would be too ♥️