an Aberdyfi woman who set out with her family to raise £1,000 for charity has quadrupled that and hopes to raise even more money before the year is out.

Rhian Cooper and her family set themselves a number of challenges to raise money for a Motor Neurone Disease charity in memory of a relative and a family friend.

She and her daughter, Hana Brierley, walked 50 miles of the Ceredigion coast path to raise money for MNDA, setting off from Borth lifeboat station on 26 June, the ninth anniversary of the death of Rhian’s sister, Eryl Walsh. Eryl was just 58 when she died of

Motor Neurone Disease

Their next challenge was to walk the Malvern Hills in August and then, throughout the course of 2021, to virtually cover a total of 874 miles - the equivalent of walking from Lands End to John O’Groats.

Team LEJOG is made up of four members of Rhian’s family have been walking, running and cycling the distance. Rhian and her sister-in-law, Lorrie Cooper, completed their walks in September.

Hana, who is running the miles, has just 68 to go.

Ollie Mason, Rhian’s son-in-law, who has been cycling treble the distance (2,622 miles) has 135 miles to go before the year end.

Rhian said: “So far this year we have raised a fantastic amount of just over £4,300 from generous donations from family and friends, and we would love to finish the year with a bang and raise a total of £5,000.

“During the year Hana and I have also walked 50 miles in two days along the magnificent Ceredigion coast path and Hana, Ollie and I walked 10 miles over the Malvern Hills and now our aim is to complete the LEJOG challenge.

“MND is a terrible disease and we are proud to be playing our part in helping to fund research, so that eventually a cure can be found. We are raising money in memory of Eryl, my sister, who sadly died of MND in 2012 and for Andy, a good friend of Ollie’s who tragically died in 2015 at the age of 31.

“Eryl and I were born and grew up in Aberystwyth and the friends there have been very generous with their donations.

We thank them so much for their support and encouragement. Diolch o galon.

“We are encouraging as many people as possible to donate to the MND association, to spur Hana and Ollie on to reach their target before the end of the year.”

If you would like to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hana-brierley