Inverness man returns to city while on brave marathon charity walk to London
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AN Inverness man has visited his home city as part of a sponsored walk aiming to raise more than £800,000 for the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
John MacPhee and three Americans, Bill Bucklew, Kevin Murray and Jim Kroeger, all hit by Parkinson’s, are walking from John O’Groats to London, and were welcomed to the Highland capital by Inverness Depute Provost Bet McAllister.
Former rugby player John, who was a salesman with MacRae & Dick, now lives in Perthshire, but he and his wife Yvonne returned home as part of The Long Walk For Parkinson’s charity effort.
The 56-year-old, who contracted the degenerative disease in his mid-40s, said: “It’s been great to be back in the Highlands where we’ve been royally welcomed and supported, which made a big impression on my American friends.
“In 2014 I walked The Long Straight Line, the direct and more challenging route from Land’s End to John O’Groats and raised £24,000 in a personal effort.
“But this is a much more ambitious venture and we’ve been walking 40 miles a day on what should take us 17 days.”
Councillor McAllister said: “It’s wonderful to see a local lad like John again doing his bit for such a worthwhile cause and I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to the walkers.
“Apparently there are 1.1 million people with Parkinson’s in the UK and US so their target is $1.1 million, or £800,000, for the charity in both countries, and they’re well on the way to reaching it.”
