Determined Tilly braves rain for 78km charity walk (From Mid Devon Star)

Determined Tilly braves rain for 78km charity walk

5:33pm Tuesday 28th August 2012 in Tiverton

TORRENTIAL rain wasn’t enough to stop Tilly Trotter embarking on the start of her three-day walk to Bridgwater with her guide dog, Gwyn recently.

Tilly, who is partially sighted after a head injury damaged her retinas 17 years ago, walked 78km from Tiverton ’s canal basin to Bridgwater and back to raise money for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

She has been walking for charity since 2003 and has so far raised over £15,000.

Tilly, of Uffculme, estimated that the current walk has raised over £2,000 already with more sponsorship money due to be collected.

Each walk has been dedicated to one of Tilly’s guide dogs, and she says the current one with Gwyn will be her last.

She said: “Our first walk was in the pouring rain, which wasn’t very funny as the rivers were high and the ground was very watery.

“I did the first two walks for the two dogs I’ve had, and now I’ve got Gwyn, who was two on Christmas Day. This is probably the last walk we’ll do.

“Gwyn does double the walk because she keeps running ahead and back again – she loves it.

“When I had her my trainer said she doesn’t like puddles, but she soon decided puddles were the least of her problems.

“It really is payback time for the GDBA because I’m so lucky to have a guide dog.

“It has allowed me to keep my independence as we can go anywhere together.”

Tilly is dedicating the walk to the memory of Ernest Pinsent, of Uplowman, a puppy walker and member of the GDBA’s Tiverton branch.