2020 Walk for Epilepsy
Yesterday marked the last day of the 2020 Walk for Epilepsy. It was very different this year as it was a virtual walk – walking solo and contributing to a collective goal. At time of writing 1,205 people completed the walk, the collective distance was 74,195 kilometers which is the equivalent of walking just under 3 times around Australia!!! And $286,798 has been raised.
Our star performer from the AEP was Amanda, our Lived Experience Ambassador -100Km in 25 days! 50km of which was in the last week! Amanda decided to stretch her original goal of 50km and smashed it out of the park!!!!!
Here are her reflections as she puts her tired feet up for a well-deserved rest!
Thank you to all my friends, family and work colleagues that have taken the time to read about my journey with epilepsy and donate to a foundation very close to my heart. One of the hardest things about living with this invisible disease is stigma and I feel after 18 years of living with it, talking about it and now working as an ambassador for The Australian Epilepsy Project I’m slowly helping to reduce the stigma that has been attached to epilepsy for so many years.
We are still normal people we just have something extra to deal with. I am lucky enough to have mainly controlled my seizures after neurosurgery in 2010, having only 3 seizures since but still have fatigue from medications I take and anxiety after living with such unpredictable seizures for so long. I think of myself as very lucky as I have had my husband James by my side for 21 years, by far my biggest support throughout the hardest years. I also have very loving and supportive family and friends that have not let epilepsy change the way they interact with me.
As most of you know we have 2 healthy boys, I have completed a psychology degree and work so we can do all the things people without epilepsy do, it just takes understanding from others and a never give up attitude. It has been hard along the way (like not driving for 8 years!) but that is what makes people like us warriors that do not give up easily.
You can still donate to the Epilepsy Foundation though Amanda’s page at:
For more information about Epilepsy Foundation please click link below: