Visually-impaired Khalid to ‘defeat the peak’ for Macmillan Cancer Support

Khalid Hussain, 61, is gearing up for his second walking challenge as he negotiates Snowdon despite having no vision at all.

A retired social worker for Kirklees Council, Khalid referred many cancer patients to Macmillan during his professional career and was always impressed with how well his clients were looked after.

“I decided to support Macmillan because in my professional life I came into contact with lots of nurses and I found the style of working and culture within Macmillan to be extremely useful,” Khalid said.

“I made a commitment after Covid that I would do something to support Macmillan and give something back because they had delivered results for my clients at the time.

“I just wanted to give something back to the community – the community that helped me to get a job.

“I want to show kindness to another human being and that’s what motivates me. I want to go the extra mile to do it. I can get out of bed and think ‘I’m helping Macmillan today’ and then Macmillan can help improve the quality of people’s lives.

In 2021, Khalid took to the Yorkshire Dales for Macmillan’s famous ‘Mighty Hike’ and traversed the wet conditions for 13 alongside a guide, despite having never walked further than three or four miles before.

This time , Khalid is aiming to ‘Defeat the Peak: Snowdon at Night Challenge’ on September 2 alongside his sighted assistant and raise £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

He said: “When I did my first challenge, there were many people there doing it for various reasons, including people going through treatment for cancer.

"This time, we will be walking for eight hours or so and, yes, my legs and feet will hurt, but it is nothing compared to what people are dealing with when going through cancer.”

Stacey Rhodes, Macmillan’s Fundraising Manager, said:"The fact that Khalid has faced many barriers throughout his life because of his visual impairment, yet he wants to support other people, is truly humbling and inspiring."

You can support Khalid at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/khalidnighthike