Layla, 9, completes Pennine Way walk for charity

Nine-year-old Layla Rosowsky, a pupil at St Mary’s School in Cambridge, walked the entire 268-mile Pennine Way to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Pennine Way trail and, over 15 days of the Easter holidays, Layla trekked through rain, wind and challenging terrain to complete the challenge, showing incredible strength and resilience.

Her efforts have raised an impressive £2,961 so far for the hospital, which provides vital care for seriously ill children.

Layla’s parents accompanied her. Her mum, Gulsum Asadova, said: “Layla wanted to do it for charity, mainly for Great Ormond Street Hospital, to raise funds.

“I think because she’s a child, she feels that if she can do anything to help other children, she would do that. The idea came from her dad, who did it when he was 18. Layla did it just a little bit earlier!”

Layla documented her journey on her JustGiving page at justgiving.com/page/layla-r-3 and via YouTube (youtube.com/@Layros14).

Gulsum added: “Her class teacher joined on one of the walks as well. To be fair, we were lagging behind Layla; she’s pretty fit and she kept going.

“There were some tough times when the weather was really not on our side and it was just relentlessly raining. I remember one of the walks her spirits were down, but she just kept going.

“There was never a moment where she said, ‘Oh, I want to give up, I want to go home’. She set herself a challenge and she’s someone that would complete it, especially if it’s for a good cause.”

Layla, who tackled the Three Peaks National Challenge in Easter 2024 for British Red Cross, added: “Thank you so much to everyone who cheered me on and sent me lovely messages.

“A huge thank you also to the brilliant doctors, nurses, and teams at GOSH – you help children who are really poorly get better and care for their families too.

“This walk wasn’t about me – I walked those 268 miles for the brave and courageous children at GOSH.”