Golden Girls take on 'daunting' challenge in aid of forces charity

Rhona Guild (second right) and Beverly Smeaton (third right) will be joined by a team of friends for the event in June. They are aiming to complete 54 miles in 24 hours.

Led by Team Captain Rhona Guild from Kirriemuir, the Golden Girls team has signed up for the Army Benevolent Fund’s annual Cateran Yomp, and will join hundreds of soldiers, veterans, and civilians from across the world by walking 22, 36, or 54 miles in 24 hours.

Based on an infamous long-distance military training march, participants will head off on the Cateran Trail in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains in the early hours of Saturday, June 8, and return to Blairgowrie on Sunday, June 9.

Supported by headline sponsor Babcock, this year’s event, which falls just two days after the 80th anniversary of D-Day, also coincides with the charity’s 80th anniversary.

Joining Rhona are Beverly Smeaton, Susie Logan, Laura Anderson, Deborah Kenward and Carol Coutts from Forfar, Hilary Smith from Kirriemuir and Sharron Wright, Megan Avolio and Michelle Rena from Dundee.

The ladies’ friend, Denise Mill, also from Dundee, will represent the much-needed support team, along with Eddie Kempsey from Nottingham, who Rhona and Beverly first met in 2019 when he joined their team.Rhona and Beverly completed Gold (54 miles) in 2019. In 2022, they were joined by Michelle and reached Silver (36 miles).

This year the team all hope to reach Gold.

Beverly, who combines her work with the University of Dundee’s External Relations department with that of a fitness instructor, said: “While it is a daunting prospect, the girls are all up for the mental and physical challenge and seeing just what they can all achieve while supporting a very worthwhile charity.

“We also have fantastic crew members in Denise and Eddie, who will meet us at the various checkpoints and keep us in order.

“The Yomp is a wonderful event. The support is second to none - from welcome cups of tea and cake to freshly made smoothies and hot food, you will never go hungry on the yomp! They also have sports massage therapists and podiatrists who are there to patch everyone up and keep them moving where possible.

“The scenery is breathtaking. We are so lucky to live close by the trail that we often take it for granted, but to be out in the fresh air and experience it takes some beating.

“The marshalls' words of encouragement are very welcome in the small hours when your body and feet are starting to ache. These supporters freely give up their whole weekend to support the Yompers and are certainly the unsung heroes, alongside the many veterans you meet out on the route. As we experienced ourselves meeting Eddie in 2019, you meet as strangers and leave as family.

“After the aches and pains, blisters and tiredness have gone, that immense feeling of crossing the finishing line will last you a lifetime. If you want to challenge yourself both physically and mentally and support a great charity, then there is no event better than the Cateran Yomp.”

Since its launch, the Cateran Yomp has raised over £4m for the Army Benevolent Fund, the Army’s National Charity. Last year’s event raised £300,000 for soldiers, veterans and their families, with 1200 participants travelling from across the UK and around the world. Looking to the future, the Cateran Yomp team hopes to raise £1M each year to match the growing need for support from soldiers, veterans and their families in Scotland.

As well as Babcock, this year’s event is sponsored by Arnold Clark.

For more information, visit https://armybenevolentfund.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/cateranyomp.