After walking 155km across five continents, which included passing 13 countries and 31 different locations to raise money for research in Multiple Sclerosis, finally, 70 year old Canadian fundraiser Angela Kirby has reached Marlow.

Angela Kirby has Multiple Sclerosis herself, and will continue her mammoth journey across the world by kicking off the European leg in Marlow on Sunday, July 26 at 2pm. She will then visit other parts of the UK and Ireland before heading to Paris and across Europe.

As part of her tour she will also be taking on Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa, among others, in her quest to earn more money for research into Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, and Angela was first diagnosed with the disease in 1996.

Angela is celebrating her 70th birthday by ‘Walking a World of Friendships for MS’ to raise money to help find a cure for the condition that affects 2.5 million people.

Angela said: “I wanted to do something special to celebrate my seventieth birthday and acknowledge the twentieth anniversary of my first MS exacerbation. Knowing that we are all waiting for that elusive cure, I felt that while I am still able, I should make a concerted effort to raise more money wherever I could, in whatever country I could, to fund MS research. As an added bonus I get to see and walk with my family and friends around the world.”

Angela, who is originally from the northwest of England, emigrated to Canada 40 years ago. She has chosen to visit places around the world where she either has friends or family and they will join her at the various locations helping her complete the gruelling schedule of charity walks.

”Each country has its own fundraising page so that any monies donated will go to MS research in that country because someone in our great big beautiful world has the key to a cure – they just don’t know it yet” she said.

Multiple Sclerosis is an unpredictable condition, and for some people the symptoms can be extremely severe. Although Angela has lived with the condition for 20 years, she considers herself extremely fortunate that her symptoms seem currently to be limited to the fatigue that is so familiar to anyone with the disease. Even a bout of optic neuritis has left no permanent loss of sight or scarring.

“I feel so blessed and fortunate with my life that I really wanted to do something that could help others,” Angela added.

Angela has already completed several scheduled walks in Canada and the USA since beginning her challenge in May. By the time she returns home in November, Angela will have completed her personal challenge of 31 walks in 13 countries around the world.

You can sponsor Angela online at www.justgiving.com/angela-kirby2. 

You can also follow Angela's travels on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/WALK-A-WORLD-of-Friendship-for-MS-5-Km-AT-A-TIME/772601699454846.