Adrenaline GRANNY

When lockdown began, Margaret McConchie, 101, knew she had to do something to help those fighting coronavirus on the front line

- KARA O'N EILL, HATTIE BISHOP

Like many of us, to Margaret McConchie, from Gatehouse of Fleet in Scotland, it came as quite a shock when the country went into lockdown in March this year.

Watching with horror as more and more people fell victim to coronavirus, Margaret felt completely helpless.

‘Sitting at home, watching the news each night, I felt so sad. I wanted to help, but being stuck inside, I wasn’t sure how.’

But inspiration was soon to strike.

Less than two months after the country was told to stay home to protect the NHS, Margaret had an idea.

‘It came to me on my 101st birthday, on 1 May 2020. I thought, “Why not do a sponsored zip line?”’ she says.

Margaret, nicknamed GG by her family, had been zip-lining before, once on her 96th birthday, and again for her 98th celebrations.

‘Straight away, I knew I wanted the money to go to NHS Charities Together. The staff working for the NHS have been doing such a good job in the pandemic.

‘They’re the ones on the front line, risking their lives to save others.

‘And after all, if young Captain Tom Moore could do it, then why couldn’t I?’

The zip-lining experience was planned for June.

‘I wanted to make sure the weather would be good – I didn’t fancy trying it in the wind,’ Margaret laughs.

In the month leading up to the big day, word got around about Margaret’s plan.