50,000 steps to fight back against heart disease

Lewis Bronze goes higher than Kilimanjaro to help heart charity

Lewis Bronze, a recovered heart patient from Chiswick, is taking part in a sponsored step up challenge, to walk 50,000 steps in five days between 5 – 13 June, which is higher than Mount Kilimanjaro.

Bronze (pictured right) is doing this in support of the British Heart Foundation’s ‘The Big Red Fightback’, Heart Week (5-13 June). Having been diagnosed with acute unstable angina last year and then receiving a double heart-by pass, Lewis, 48, has now fully recovered and enjoys walking and playing tennis regularly. He was very grateful for the information he received from the British Heart Foundation and offers his support to the Charity’s campaign.

As part of the charity’s Big Red Fightback campaign people in West London are being encouraged to take part in a sponsored step up challenge, such as walking the equivalent height of St Paul’s Cathedral three times, which is 1680 steps, to help the BHF reach its target of 100 million steps – the equivalent of climbing the world’s 100 highest mountains, 21 times.

The top heart charity hopes that its sponsored step up challenge will not only raise vital funds to help fight back against heart disease – the UK’s single biggest killer - but will also help to improve the heart health of people taking part. If just 1p is raised for each step taken, the charity will reach its £1 million target.

Lewis Bronze says: “I encourage people to take part in this campaign. Most families have been touched in some way by heart disease – and by taking part in a stepping challenge you will not only have fun and benefit your health – you will also help to raise vital funds for this worthwhile charity. I am certainly looking forward to meeting the step up challenge I have set myself!”

David Mann, British Heart Foundation Regional Director, says: “Taking part in a step up challenge is as easy as climbing to the top of stairs! All we are asking is that everyone breaks their normal routine for the week by taking more steps and gets sponsored for doing so.”

Stepping challenges could include Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain is the equivalent of walking 8,812 steps; the Empire State Building is the equivalent of walking 2,500 steps and the Eiffel Tower, Paris is the equivalent of walking 1,968 steps.

While the statistics show that death rates from coronary heart disease are falling, the number of people living with the condition is increasing. Around 1.2 million women and over 1.5 million men are now living with heart disease and this figure is rising. The BHF hopes the campaign will increase awareness of the condition and encourage everyone to take greater responsibility for their own heart health.

June 3, 2004