A GRANDMOTHER has taken on the challenge of walking 1,000 miles in 200 days to raise money for a charity supporting children whose parents are undergoing cancer treatment.

Debbie Holmes, 55, started her new year mission on January 1 and has already hit the 100-mile marker as well as raising £155 on JustGiving.

She will finish her challenge on July 19. All money raised will be donated to The Osborne Trust, whose head office is in Rhuddlan.

Debbie – who is married to Kevin and has two grown-up children, Natalie and Craig, and two grandchildren, Dylan and Harrison – was inspired after coming across a group called Walk 1000 Miles, where people pledge to walk 1,000 miles in a year.

Debbie, a constituency support officer for Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane, decided that she could do it less than a year after achieving a recent goal where she lost five stone and four dress sizes.

She said: “In 2016, I was close to being diagnosed with diabetes type two, so I needed to do something about my weight, which at the time was 15st 3lbs.

“I joined Weight Watchers and was encouraged to get moving more. Up to this point, a tub of Pringles a night was a regular feature in my life, alongside unhealthy food choices and little activity.

“Fast forward seven months, and I lost five stone and was walking regularly. I now take every opportunity to walk”.

Debbie is tracking her miles on her FitBit. Debbie has not only lost weight but also reduced her body mass index (BMI) from 36 to 24.5.

“I no longer suffer with knee pain. I can breathe much better and my blood sugars back to normal,” she added.

“My family are super proud of what I am trying to achieve. I feel the healthiest I have ever felt in my adult life.”

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/debbie-holmeswalking1000miles2018