Blind woman aged 80 completes almost 700 sit ups in her Milton Keynes back garden for charity

A remarkable 80-year-old blind woman has completed nearly 700 sit ups to raise cash for Bucks Vision charity.
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Padma Cheriyan performed 26 sit ups a day for 26 days during lockdown at her Bletchley home.

As if that wasn't enough, she followed each session with 26 windmill exercises.

Her efforts have now raised £866.66 for Bucks Vision.

Padma doing a windmillPadma doing a windmill
Padma doing a windmill

Padma lost her sight 23 years ago due to macular degeneration and cataracts. She was one of a number of blind people to take part in the official 2.6 Challenge, which was began on the day the 40th London Marathon should have taken place.

The marathon is the world’s biggest one-day annual fundraising event, and the organisers of the biggest mass-participation sports events across the country came together to create the 2.6 challenge to raise vital funds for charities.

A Bucks Vision spokesman said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on charities, with the cancellation of thousands of events and the loss of billions in fundraising income."

Padma was cheered on virtually during her challenge by her friend Alison Milligan who called her every morning for 26 days on Facetime to put her through my paces.

'I enjoyed it,' says Padma'I enjoyed it,' says Padma
'I enjoyed it,' says Padma

"I could not have done it without Alison's help and supportive comments. I have enjoyed it all," she said.

Alison said: She nailed it! For 26 consecutive mornings in May we had a facetime call on which Padma completed her 26 Sit Ups and 26 windmills . They were pretty impressive sit ups too.

"She even managed a smile after each set , but the smile on the last day was by far the biggest."

Padma, who has a post graduate diploma in social work. was voted the most inspirational female in Milton Keynes at the MK Women Leaders awards in 2017.

She refused to be daunted when she lost her sight and had to give up her job. Instead she works every day as a campaigner, fighting to improve conditions for visually impaired people all over MK.

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