A quick-on-her-feet FIVE year old has become one of the top fundraisers for Alzheimer’s Research UK’s new fundraising challenge Running Down Dementia.
Little India Mackie, brilliantly known as ‘The Indian Running Duck’ on the leaderboard, has already raised £523 for vital dementia research within less than a month of the initiative starting – placing her in the top ten of more than 2,300 fundraisers.
Running Down Dementia challenges participants to run 100km over summer 2016 and raise £100 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
India, though only five, has already clocked up 19km through participating in the 2km Guildford junior parkrun in Surrey on Sundays with her dad Ian, in addition to other runs near home. Ad after every run the little legend tracks her progress with stickers on a wall chart.
“I've just started running with my dad, and it’s even more fun when my friends do parkrun too. I always feel good at the end, especially with an ice cream!” she says.
“If I run 100k over summer, we will be raising money for research to help people remember the names of people they love, and also if they like peanut butter on their toast!
India’s mum Lisa Mackie signed India up to parkrun because she is “so full of energy”, and said she is “incredibly proud” to see how far she has come.
Lisa said: “She’s very young so she’s still getting into the mind-set of parkrun. Rather than thinking about personal bests she just likes to enjoy the run, and will wait for her friends to catch up with her.
“We moved to Guildford last year and were looking for ways to become part of the community. We didn’t hesitate to get involved with Running Down Dementia and we’d signed up within a day. Both mine and Ian’s families have been affected by dementia and it’s a cause close to our hearts. We’re really proud of India and hope we can continue fundraising.”
“Wow, how amazing of India to have done all this at just the age of five, says Hannah Reynolds, Community and Sporting Events Officer for Alzheimer’s Research UK. “We are so impressed with her fundraising efforts and her running.”
To donate to India’s fundraising page visit https://running-down-dementia.
