China's Children at the Heart of Great Wall Challenge

5, 500 Miles in 18 months – China Town Launch for Great Wall Challenge

One adventure leads to another….

Three women who met in China while volunteering for a charity which cares for disabled and abandoned children are to take on a new challenge – covering the equivalent length of the Great Wall by walking, swimming and cycling. Linda Grieve, Kati Simpson and Linda Linehan, who live in and around London, are taking on this challenge to raise money for the charity which brought them together – International China Concern (ICC).

Founded in 1993, ICC is a Christian international development charity that changes lives by bringing love, hope and opportunity to China’s abandoned and disabled. ICC’s core belief is that every child is precious and has the right to be loved, to have hope for the future and the opportunity to realise their dreams.

Kati, Linda and Linda first met 5 years ago on a short-term ICC volunteer team in Hengyang in the south east Chinese province of Hunan and have been friends ever since.

They hope to cover the staggering distance of 5,500 miles within the next 17 months. Once they near the end of the challenge in 2018, they plan to cover the final miles on the Great Wall in China, followed by a visit to the children and projects they are fundraising to support.

Launching the challenge Linda Grieve said:

‘Having completed a number of individual challenges we are now working together to collectively walk, swim and cycle the length of the Ming Dynasty section of the Great Wall of China. Each of us will cover around 1800 miles over the coming months. It will be a real test of discipline and fitness to keep going but it will be worth it to know we are making a difference in the lives of children who are in real need.

'We plan to cover the length and breadth of the UK, organising specific events which will add miles towards our total. We very much hope that the people and communities we visit will be inspired to support the incredible work of the charity in bringing love and hope to these precious children.’

Photo attached: The Great Wall Challenge Launch, China Exchange, China Town, November 2016. From left to right - Kati Simpson, Linda Linehan, Linda Grieve

To follow the progress of the fundraisers on Facebook go to: Facebook - Great Wall Challenge

For more information about International China Concern please go to: www.chinaconcern.org and ICC Facebook Page UK & Ireland