Mark McLaughlin
Edinburgh Evening News
May 8, 2009
A SOLDIER'S wife is set to trek 29 miles to raise money for war veterans and injured sportsmen - while six months pregnant.
Sophia Sheldrick, 31, who works for Savills estate agents on Wemyss Place, is one of the 600 entrants taking part in the Hearts & Heroes trek, which will raise money for the Poppyscotland war veterans charity, The Sportsman's Charity and injured rugby players charity Hearts & Balls.
While a 29-mile walk will do little to help Sophia's pregnancy pains and swollen feet, it will not be nearly as arduous as some of the trials her husband has had to endure as a serving officer in The Black Watch.
Major Matthew Sheldrick, 32, has seen active service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also plans to run the Hearts & Heroes course with some of his Black Watch comrades.
Sophia said: "Despite being pregnant I'll see the trek through to the end, although I suspect Matthew and his friends will get there quite a bit faster than I will."
Sophia's all-girl team was initially envisaged as a foursome, but she will now be carrying its fifth member in utero.
"I signed up for the walk last summer so I obviously had no idea I'd be six months pregnant when I was setting off," added Sophia, who lives in Inverleith.
"I've not really taken a great deal of medical advice about doing it, but they do say you should keep yourself fit and healthy while pregnant.
"Walking is one of the best forms of exercise, so as long as I don't have any strange reactions along the way I should be fine."
It is sure to be hungry work and in case anyone was in doubt that Sophia will be walking - and eating - for two, the girls have named their team Save us Some Sausages for the BBQ.
The couple met in Edinburgh in 1998 when Matthew was still at The Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, and their first child is due in August.
Sophia added: "I knew what I was getting into when I married a soldier, but it's still tough being a soldier's wife, especially when he's serving abroad because you can be out of contact for a very long time.
"They can only phone home by satellite phone so you have to get used to random calls, which can come through at any time and only last about 20 minutes so have to remember to tell him everything you wanted to say in such a short space of time.
"With Army recruitment so low they have to keep sending the same soldiers out again and again, which can be tough.
"He's doing anti-terrorism work with the MoD in London at the moment, so we're lucky enough to be able to commute to see each other every weekend - which is great when we're expecting a baby - but there's every possibility that he could be sent out to Afghanistan again in the next few months."
The 29-mile route commences at the southern end of St Mary's Loch on Saturday, 16 May, working its way along the Southern Upland Way, culminating in the Borders town of Melrose
No comments:
Post a Comment