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Kate Kenzie

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£705 + £10.19 GiftAid

My Goal

£250

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My Activity Tracking

630
mi

My target 1000 mi

Writing for Dystonia UK's epic #DystoniaAroundTheWorld challenge to raise awareness and funds for my charity!

Thanks for visiting my profile. This year, I am taking on Dystonia UK's epic #DystoniaAroundTheWorld challenge to raise awareness and funds for my charity!

I will be taking part in a writeathon to build up as many miles as I can to power the virtual trip from Dystonia UK's HQ in London around the world and back. My initial aim was to write for  1000 minutes in many sprints. This is equivalent to running 100 miles, something I would fail at within the first few steps. I have achieved that so my goal has increased to 1000 miles which currently feels impossible. I will keep you updated on my blog katekenzie.com and share the resulting short stories/flash fiction there for you to read. As my dystonia affects my ability to write/type there will not be as many posted as I would like.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that is estimated to affect at least 100,000 people in the UK. It presents with uncontrollable and sometimes painful muscle spasms triggered by incorrect signals from the brain. It is the 3rd most common movement disorder behind Parkinson’s and essential tremor yet many have never heard of it.

Dystonia UK is the only UK national charity dedicated to helping people affected by dystonia.

Help me put dystonia on the world map and change the lives of people who often feel alone and forgotten by taking on the #DystoniaAroundTheWorld challenge yourself or donating to my fundraising page.

Thank you so much for your support! If you  have any ideas of topics for my short stories, please let me know.

My Achievements

Added a profile picture

Raised £250

Increased goal

Had 10 members join the team

Created a page

Received donations from 10 supporters

My Updates

Final push to get more miles!

Friday 30th Oct
I have not done very well keeping you updated and stories written need to be edited before they are put on my blog but I am nearly at 600 miles and have jumped over my goal to over £700. I can't thank you enough but will try to see if more can be done. 

Time to keep writing!

Thank you for your ongoing support

Thursday 1st Oct
This morning I aimed to reach 350 miles and £200 and I have done it but it was only possible with your help. Thank you. 

Shattered Dreams

Thursday 1st Oct
It's the end of Dystonia Awareness month and September so I am sharing a short piece of fiction, Shattered Dreams on my blog now. 

As the Dystonia Around the World challenge is continuing next month more fiction will be posted soon. 

300 miles reached!

Friday 25th Sep
It has taken longer than I imagined but that is the life of living with dystonia in a pandemic but 300 miles has been reached. It is the dystonia conference online today but watch this space for some flash fiction to celebrate.

Walking and visiting trees

Monday 21st Sep
Since shielding my mobility has decreased and my waistline expanded. Cake and chocolate tastes nicer when the world is stressful. I recently set myself a challenge to walk everyday to the nearby trees with my walker with the aim of being able to reach the top of the road to post a letter. A simple thing that dystonia makes impossible. Thanks to the lack of accountability, I soon decided an extra cuppa or 5 minutes reading mattered more. It has to change so every walk will count towards my miles. 
Captain Tom has no competition, I am a snail compared to him but maybe soon I will reach a mile if I add my days together. The fitness calculator is kind on here and rounds my distance achieved up. You will be the first to know when it is accurate with its 0.1 

Man on the Moon fiction for Friday

Friday 18th Sep
A new flash fiction is on my blog now. It maybe a tad early for the topic but the prompt was given by my local writing group and this is what popped in my head.

It has been too long but 200 miles reached!

Monday 14th Sep
I have not updated here for too long but I am plodding on with my miles but much slower than expected. Thanks to medication changes dystonia is fighting back with headaches and pain making screen time more difficult. Despite that I have reached 200 miles so new flash fiction is on my blog. It is the first one from the tales of Mexenby Hall. Mexenby, a fictional Yorkshire town plays a big role in the novels I am writing. Mexenby Hall holds many secrets to discover.

This weekend I have had to concentrate on editing a submission to a big publisher, which is an important opportunity I can not miss. I will be back to short stories shortly. 

Keep safe and more soon. 

New Destinations

Friday 4th Sep
After 100 miles, I arrived at my dream destination of The Cabinet of Curiosities, Haworth but since I increased my mileage goal a new ultimate destination is needed. Followers of my blog will know I love witches and their history so it is fitting the destination I want to virtually reach is The Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle, Cornwall via other places on my wish list in real life. The last time I visited Cornwall I was too chicken to go in and I have been kicking myself ever since. 

The other places include Mother Shipton's Cave, Knaresborough
Sedburgh, Cumbria for it's book shops.
Pendle Heritage Centre, Pendle. Burnley


With my completed miles, I have virtually visited The Bronte Parsonage Museum and Mother Shipton's Cave and now on my way to a Sedburgh - 30 miles to go.
 

Stories for September

Wednesday 2nd Sep
The Fallen is on my blog NOW! Dystonia has flared so writing has been halted and then slow. Yesterday was an appointment with new neurologists which always wipes me out but I am hoping I will be back writing now. The Fallen is on my blog now for you to read.

Back writing!

Wednesday 26th Aug
After a few days off, thanks to dystonia and crushing fatigue took over, I'm back writing with Nigel my trusty writing companion for company. A few tweaks to a couple of flash fictions complete ready to share next month which is creeping closer. Need to get my skates on to write more.

 Have a good Wednesday and National Dog Day!

Dystonia wins!

Sunday 23rd Aug
No writing yesterday and today looks doubtful as I pushed things too far. Dystonia won - sometimes you have to choose your battles and admit defeat so you can come back fighting.

£100 target has been reached!

Thursday 20th Aug
I am ecstatic and nervous that the £100 target has been reached because that means I have to release a piece of flash fiction into the world for people to see. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Hop over to my blog, katekenzie.com at midday to read A Walk in Bluebell Woods. 

100 miles complete!

Wednesday 19th Aug
If I had worn my boots and walked my completed miles I will have reached my destination of The Cabinet of Curiosities in Haworth for a much needed retail session via York. 

I have increased the miles  I wish to complete to 1000 miles so need to find some more destinations to visit. 

Time for a cup of tea and write.

Increasing goal!

Thursday 13th Aug
I am more than half way in my goal of 100 miles - enough to virtually visit one of my favourite places, York. It is only 9 days since I started so I am increasing the goal to 1000 miles. 

Time to get writing and the imagination flowing - after a cup of tea!

T-shirt's make it official!

Monday 10th Aug
My T-shirt has arrived which makes this challenge feel more real. It got here in time for me to wear it with my new cat leggings for International Cat day. A rough flash fiction written about a cat written but requires editing before it appears on my blog.

The Gansey Girl

Thursday 6th Aug
You can not visit Bridlington harbour without saying hello to the Gansey Girl.

Bridlington beach

Thursday 6th Aug
Over ten miles walked means a visit to the beach

On my way to the sea!

Thursday 6th Aug
I have done over 10 miles now which got me wondering where I could go, even if is just in the cyber world for my 100 miles. I could go to Manchester to have a cup of socially distanced tea with one of my best friends, once lockdown is lifted or I could head West to see the stunning Yorkshire landscape. I saw a photo of The Curiosity Society in Haworth yesterday and it is a similar to The Enchanted Emporium, the witch's shop in the novel I have just finished writing A Blend of Magic; I need to go for inspiration and soak up the atmosphere. It's 80 miles away but first I need to visit my favourite place - the sea.
 With the miles I have done so far, I can reward myself with a Horlicks and tea cake with lashings of butter at Bridlington beach.


Thank you

Tuesday 4th Aug
I am amazed I have donations already. Thank you it means alot. I had better get writing. 

Thank you to my Sponsors

£500

Ann Edwards

£26.25

Nicolette Stones

Well done Katie, keep it going🤗🤗

£26.25

Jackie Hopkins

Good luck Kate I am sure you will be successful in reaching your goal and more. Happy writing! Jackie

£20

Rob Wells

Well done Katie! Amazing

£20

Gordon Wells

Well done Katie, lots of love Mum and Dad Wells

£20

Susan Hutchinson

£15.75

Sharon Booth

Good luck Katie! I'll be rooting for you x

£15.75

Julie Heslington Ltd

Good luck, Katie! Hoping lots of inspiration hits you xx

£15.75

Graham Hill

Best of luck on your journey! 🙂

£10.50

Emma Jackson

Good luck Katie! X

£10.50

Emma Wilson

Good luck Katie - and well done so far!! xxx

£5.25

Anonymous

£5.25

Victoria Burr

Awesome challenge, go Katie!

£5

Hazel Clarke

£5

Catherine Louth

£4.20

Anonymous

200 :)

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