ALL SMILES: Katie Metcalfe has put her feet up after walking more than 424 miles as part of a fundraising challenge
ALL SMILES: Katie Metcalfe has put her feet up after walking more than 424 miles as part of a fundraising challenge

A WEST Auckland woman walked a million steps in just 40 days raising nearly double the target she set herself for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
For a New Year’s resolution, Katie Metcalfe, 34, decided to walk 25,000 steps a day to hit her target, the equivalent of travelling from Glasgow to Southampton.
She said: “I feel great. I feel like I should be out walking now.
“I managed to hit the target on Tuesday [February 9] at 9pm so I was able to have cake and a Prosecco as it was my birthday.”
Ms Metcalfe, supported by her partner Anth Bayles, had initially set out to lose a little “lockdown weight” and aimed to raise £1,000 for GNAAS while doing the challenge.
However, she managed to almost double the amount raised pulling in donations totalling £1,831.
She added: “I really enjoyed the walking, but the last 1,000 steps were the longest and I was so pleased to finish.
“I still can’t quite believe I have. It doesn’t feel like I’ve walked 424 miles.
“I’m really grateful to everyone who has donated and sent messages of support because GNAAS is such a worthy cause.”
She added: “I’m going to keep up walking, but I don’t think I’ll walk so far each day.
“It’s only been a few days since I finished the challenge, but I feel like I’ve got so much time on my hands now.”