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Swindon Wide

Breast cancer walkers celebrate Moonwalk anniversary

From The Archives with Link decorated bra became a well known
founding publisher Roger Ogle sight on the Moonwalk as Swindon
London’s Moonwalk marathon was the largest town represented
on Saturday 13 May will be the for several years.
twentieth year of the world famous The Swindon Twin Peaks group
event, and former West Swindon continues to organise training
resident Eunice Salmon has taken walks for fitness, but participants
part in every one of them. now organise their own transport
From the start Link magazine was if they enter the Moonwalk which
a spur for Eunice, who now lives in still attracts up to 17,000 people
Purton, to bring together a team of annually. Eunice said former
volunteers to organise women and Breakthrough Breast Cancer
a sprinkling of blokes to take part in branch chair Shirley Garman was
the marathon through the streets of Prince Charles meets Moonwalkers at Highgrove House, with Eunice the inspiration for so much of the
the capital. Salmon, left, and Nina Barough, right in September 2001 activity to raise money for breast
The idea for an overnight walk cancer research in the late 1990s.
came to Moonwalk founder Nina “At first I wasn’t sure about “The Link carried a story about “When I got involved in the
Barough who had a dream to walk walking in a bra and contacted the first Moonwalk and asked if I Moonwalk, she told me ‘it doesn’t
the 1996 New York marathon with Nina; she said think of the bra was going to do another, and what matter if you don’t raise any money,
a group of women in their bras in as a decorated garment and about advertising for other women you’ll be raising awareness.’
aid of breast cancer. The £25,000 make a statement for the cause. to join me?,” said Eunice. “I thought “When she started the branch she
raised inspired Nina to organise a It’s amazing how women have about five would step forward; a set a target for Swindon women to
similar outing on the night before embraced the idea and taken to the few weeks later 35 came to my raise £1 million for Breakthrough
the 1997 London marathon. Moonwalk movement and raised house to find out more. It was a (rebranded Breast Cancer Now).
“I was 37 and had been thinking about £113 million for women’s shock to realise that something big The network she created is still very
of doing a marathon and saw an cancer related charities in the last was about to happen.” active and I hope the last £76,550
article about a walking marathon 19 years.” The group decided to call can be achieved by 2019 which is
supporting breast cancer,” said After walking on her own, Eunice themselves Swindon Twin Peaks and the tenth anniversary of her death
Eunice. “I had benign lumps when I joined the Swindon branch of started to organise transport as the from breast cancer.”
was eighteen but had recently been Breakthrough Breast Cancer run numbers who wanted to take part “For me and so many other
to a school reunion and was told by the late Shirley Garman and kept growing. One hundred travelled women who participate, it is a
a classmate had died from breast blames Link magazine for helping to London in 1998 rising to 200 positive way of fighting back.”
cancer, it was a jolt and gave me a to turn Swindon into a walking walkers in 2001. Find out about The Moonwalk at
reason to take part. powerhouse. The Magic Roundabout Dougal www.walkthewalk.org

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