Soldier completes gruelling 100 mile fundraiser
A SOLDIER who may have been spotted by on-lookers in the strath working up a sweat on a run with a massive rucksack on his back has completed a gruelling 100 mile fundraiser.
Hardy RAF Kinloss Regiment Corporal Andy Souness (31) set off just after midnight on Wednesday on the run which took him through Grantown and Tomintoul amongst other places.
He just finished his run with the 45lb bergen rucksack a few hours ago, arriving to be greeted by family and well-wishers as well as Isla Simpson (2) who he was running for.
The Elgin tot suffers from neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer.
He set off south from Rhynie and the finishing line was at the camp gates at RAF Kinloss in Moray.
Andy chose the charity in support of Isla after hearing of her condition from her father, Cpl Ross Simpson who works on the Visiting Aircraft Section at Kinloss and who was collecting for Isla’s Appeal last year.
Over the last few years Andy has been involved in several high profile charity fundraisers such as the Swim for Life Challenge in 2008 - where four colleagues from Kinloss swam across the Moray Firth in aid of Breast Cancer - and the Four Marathon Challenge, running marathons in each country of the UK in four consecutive days.
But this time he said he wanted to do something for a local charity.
Andy said: “When I saw Isla – who is half the weight of my rucksack - I knew that the pain I went through was worth it.”
Anyone who would like to sponsor Andy can do so via Isla’s website at :- http://www.bmycharity.com/100miles4isla.
