The Datebook Datebook Autumn 18 Calendar of Events | Page 17

Nina Barough CBE: Founder
of Grant Making Charity Walk the Walk
“Coming up the idea
for The MoonWalk is
one of my proudest
moments but only on
reflection, many
years later!
Nina Barough CBE.
N
ina Barough CBE is
Founder and Chief
Executive of breast cancer
charity Walk the Walk and
creator of the famous
MoonWalks in London,
Scotland and Iceland.
“I ran a production
company and had no
connection with
fundraising for breast
cancer. Then I had a
dream about power
walking the New York
City Marathon in a
decorated bra to
raise money for a
good cause and did
just that with a group
of girls in November
1996. We raised an
incredible £25,000,
which we donated to
Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
“Two months later, I discovered
I had breast cancer myself. An
even larger group walked the
London Marathon to support
me and raised another
£25,000 for Breakthrough.
Nina and her friends in the New York Marathon where it all started.
“In 1998, many people were
really keen to join us at the
London Marathon again but I
couldn’t get places for
everyone. So with total
frustration, I spontaneously
decided that we would do it as
a relay. The first team would go
out at midnight, walking our
own route and finishing in the
morning. We would then hand
over the baton to the other
team, there to meet us, then
they would carry on and do
their marathon. I decided to
call it a “MoonWalk”!
“And it happened exactly like
that. At the time, it was just
meant to be a solution to a
problem for one year!
“In 1998, I set up the grant
making breast cancer charity,
Walk the Walk and our walkers
have raised an astounding
£127 million. This is granted to
both research (over £30 million
to Breast Cancer Now) and to
help improve the lives of those
living with cancer.
“That one moment a
generation ago when I came up
with the idea for The MoonWalk
has led to so much. It’s only
now looking back that I realise
how proud I am of the
spontaneous combustion that
happened in my head and
which led me to create The
MoonWalk!”
For more information about
Walk the Walk please go to:
On stage at the 2018 Moonwalk. www.walkthewalk.org
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