Trainer plans US fundraising trip in memory of two friends

A senior first aid trainer is planning to trek hundreds of miles across Colorado in memory of two friends.

Teresa Barron, who lives in Bradford, will be walking the 500-mile Colorado Trail to raise money for Guide Dogs and The Yorkshire Air Ambulance later this year.

The 43-year-old qualified nurse will be accompanied by two friends and will walk between 12 and 36 miles each day at altitude with temperatures ranging from – 2C at night to 40C during the day.

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Ms Barron is embarking on the fundraising mission in memory of Betty Blundell, a guide dog user and who passed away in 2005, and Julian Hughes.

The 36-year-old Halifax man had been planning to take part in the Colorado expedition before his sudden death while on holiday in Rhodes last year.

"He was one of the kindest, funniest, most positive people and a very good friend," said Ms Barron.

"Betty Blundell was a guide dog user who was a massive part of the guide dog community in Leeds. She did a lot of fundraising with her husband, Ron.

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"She was a fantastic, amazing, loving, really positive woman."

The team will set off on the epic journey on June 10 and hope to finish on July 8 at a friend's house in Denver.

Ms Barron, who works for First on Scene Training Ltd, said: "I'm really excited about the challenge ahead, although very nervous too. It's a huge challenge, but something I know will be extremely rewarding when I'm finished. "

The Colorado Trail stretches 500 miles from Denver to Durango in America, travelling through the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Walkers who embark on the trail experience six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges.