August 21, 2023
On Saturday morning, Nanango resident Lance Nash will be taking his dog, Sandy, for a walk … a very long walk.
The pair will be leaving Pioneer Park to begin a journey on foot to Linville to raise funds and awareness of epilepsy, particularly in rural areas.
Lance has had to overcome many obstacles since he was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2016 after suffering a head injury at work.
Nine months after the incident, he started having seizures.
“They slowly progressed into tonic-clonic (convulsive) seizures which turned my life upside down,” Lance said.
“I was no longer able to do the things in life that made me happy and fell into a world of depression.”
Going out in public can be anxiety-inducing for many people with epilepsy, including Lance.
“I used to be a very confident person, but my epilepsy took all my self-confidence away and meeting new people makes me very anxious,” he said.
“My speech, memory, comprehension and learning abilities have been significantly affected.”
Lance’s Walk for Epilepsy will start 10:00am on August 26.
He will follow the old stock route to Yarraman.
On Sunday, the pair will travel along the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail to Blackbutt.
Lance will finish the final 11km of the walk at Linville on August 28.
He will be camping at each town along the way and has invited residents to come along, have a chat and donate to his challenge.
“I am doing this challenge not only as a personal goal for myself to face my fears and challenges but also to prove to others in the same situation that it is possible to push yourself and achieve your goals,” he said.
- Donations to support Lance’s Walk For Epilepsy can be made online
