• Walking challenge saw stroke patients come together to celebrate recovery
• Family, friends and staff lined Leverhulme Park race track to cheer on patients
• More than £7,000 raised through Our Bolton NHS Charity for Community Stroke team

Stroke patients at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust have come together to take on a special walking challenge that celebrated their recovery and the progress they have made.

Affectionately nicknamed the ‘stroke warriors’, ten patients who survived a stroke took part in a sponsored walk on the 400m race track at Leverhulme Park.

Family, friends and staff from the Trust lined the track to cheer on the patients as they completed their individual target distances, which celebrated their determination to recover from stroke.

The event was organised by stroke patient Chris Healey with the support of his Community Physiotherapist, Nicola Roberts.

Chris said:

We designed the event to give patients something to look forward to and to motivate them in their ongoing recovery.

“My main goal was to set myself a distance to complete, but the unexpected achievement was to see all the stroke warriors come together to take part in the walk, make friends, and share their inspiring stories.

“We soon realised how many of us are facing the same battles and realised others are going through similar difficulties but were managing, with varying success, to have small wins every single day.

Helpers and families who turned out to show their support also found comfort in building a stroke community in Bolton to seek support and advice about the challenges they face.

Chris added:

I think just as importantly, or maybe even more so, our helpers and partners who do so much for us were reminded they are not on their own.

More than £7,000 was raised on the day through Our Bolton NHS Charity for the Community Stroke team at Breightmet Health Centre, with funds to be invested in rehabilitation equipment to enhance patient recovery.

An absolute INCREDIBLE & HEARTWARMING turnout for our stroke warriors today! You were all brilliant! Thank you to all those who participated, cheering & supporting our warriors. A special & absolute huge congrats to Chris Healey, we are blown away from all your efforts today 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/3fAFGpxVyt

— Bolton Acute and Community Stroke Rehabilitation (@BoltonStroke) September 24, 2023

The team monitor the ongoing health of patients in the community after they leave hospital, with the aim of trying to reduce their risk of further stroke.

Nicola Roberts, Community Physiotherapist at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:

The end goal of the event was to bring people together who each share similar experiences and create a community where patients can find support in one another.

“It was emotional to see everyone lined up at the start and being reminded of the progress they have made from being very poorly to now inspiring others in such an uplifting way.

“Everyone finished in their own time but we all waited until the final person crossed the line, a testament to their determination to finish, and cheered them every step of the way.

“A big thank you Leverhulme Park for giving up their fee for the track and enabling us to raise thousands of pounds for Our Bolton NHS Charity so that we can make a meaningful difference to lives of our patients.

Find out more about the work of Our Bolton NHS Charity on the Trust’s website.