‘Granny Mave’ on home stretch of charity cycle
The Dumfries & Galloway grandmother is back in the region for the final stage of her challenge
Last updated 9th Nov 2023
85-year-old Mavis Paterson is close to completing a 1000 mile cycle around the coast of Scotland, arriving in Castle Douglas with just two days of cycling left.
'Granny Mave' has been pedalling hard throughout the month, and is on track to finish at the Mull of Galloway on Sunday.
The Dumfries & Galloway grandmother says she’s pleased to return to the region and reunite with friends as she completes her challenge: “I’ve got lots of friends in Castle Douglas, and I did live in Dalbeattie at one time, so I’ve got lots of friends all round here. I’m dying to see them all and let them know I’m still in one piece.
“I’ve always been quite fit, I started running, I did a lot of half marathons and then a full marathon, but my knees began to trouble me so a friend said why don’t you cycle? There’s no impact on the knees so I did that, and I’ve cycled for about 30 years now.”
Fundraising targets have been broken
Granny Mave's Just Giving Page has raised well over £54,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support so far, with donations still flooding in. The current total is well in excess of an initial £35,000 target.
The Dumfries & Galloway local made the choice to support MacMillan Cancer after she spent time with her sister in Australia, who was being treated for cancer. Granny Mave decided to get involved with the charity when she returned to Scotland.
Mavis is also cycling in memory of her three children, who died in their forties within four years of each other.
READ MORE: "Bionic Granny" nearing end of 1000 mile cycle in memory of her children
No stranger to bikes, Granny Mave has already cycled across Canada, as well as from Land’s End to John O’Groats, telling us she is already looking forward to her next challenge:
"We’re trying to work out where we’ll go!"
The effort has taken Mavis into plenty of communities up and down the country, she tells us she looks forward to reaching each destination: “I have a highlight every day, the finish of the day. I came here today to Castle Douglas and I thought wow this is brilliant. So it’s a kind of wow every time.”
To see Granny Mave reach the finish line, people are welcomed to head along to the Mull of Galloway on Sunday to see the challenge come to a close.