A Prince George woman will take a trip into the past to help her daughter and all other Canadians who suffer with arthritis.
Shelley Anderson will trek 45 kilometres up hill to reach Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas in Peru, to raise awareness and funds for arthritis research and patient programs.
The 53-year-old is participating in Joints In Motion, a Canadian Arthritis Society program dedicated to finding a cure for the disease that affects four million Canadians.
She says her hero and greatest incentive is her daughter, Natalie, who is among those struck by rheumatoid arthritis after giving birth to her second child.
"At 28 years old, Natalie is young enough to make people aware that this disease that has no cure can strike all ages. It's a chronic disease that is very debilitating for many," Anderson said.
She has raised more than $4,000 for the Canadian Arthritis Association with a mission to reach $7,800. Her expenses for meals and travel to Peru will be paid by the association.
Anderson, who's training at the YMCA to ensure she's up to the climb, is holding two fund-raising events to help reach her goal.
**On Saturday she is holding a used-books-and-more sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Andrew's United Church Hall, 3555 Fifth Avenue.
**On April 30 she will hold a garage sale in the same location at the same time.
"I'm hoping to receive donations of books and garage sale items to sell," said Anderson who can be reached by Email: [email protected].
Three other team members from B.C. will join the national team during the August trip to Urubama Valley in the Cusco region of Peru.
Members will trek a 43-km stretch of the stone-paved Inca Trail that is flanked with forests rich in tropical birds, orchids and rare landscapes.
The four-day trek will take the Canadian team past Inca settlements and through two highland passes before they reach Inti Punku, the Gateway to the Sun, where they will have reached the summit at Machu Picchu. Visit http://arthritis.akaraisin.com/p/ShelleyAnderson.aspx for more information
Arthritis comes in many forms. For some people, it can mean a life of many challenges in doing things that others take for granted.
Funds raised through Joints In Motion helps the Arthritis Society to fund leading-edge research, programs that support people with arthritis and training initiatives in Canada's 16 medical schools. These three key areas benefit the more than four million Canadians who live with the pain and discomfort of arthritis.
