Any parent's greatest fear is outliving their child, and for retired couple David and Margaret Sargent, that fear became a devastating reality.

Having struggled with her mental health for nearly two decades, their daughter, Anna, took her own life aged 36. 

"It was very much a long-term struggle for Anna," said Margaret. "She was a very clever girl and had a successful career in public relations and worked for the BBC, but her mind was never quietened.

"That's the problem with mental health, you can't see it. You can look very beautiful and very able but no one knows what you're going through on the inside. We think of her every day and miss her more than we can say."

Now, on the 10th anniversary of her death, the pair are walking all 100 miles of the South Downs Way in her memory. 

Having started in Winchester on September 9, they are aiming to arrive in Eastbourne on September 18, finishing with a celebratory meal between family and friends - including their son, Tom. 

With a combined age of 150, the route represents a major challenge for David, 77, and Margaret, 73. But it's also one which holds particular significance.

"Horse riding was Anna's passion and one of the things she most enjoyed was riding the South Downs Way," Margaret added. "She loved it so much we thought it would be a fitting route for us to take. We're doing fine. It's a long way but for our age we're quite fit people. We're just putting one foot in front of the other and taking each day as it comes.


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"Sometimes in life awful things happen and you have a choice; you either give up or you say, 'let's embrace it and live with it'. We're always going to be changed by what happened, but change can let you grow, too."

David and Margaret live in Sandhurst but have friends in Winchester who put up posters around the city advertising their fundraising efforts.

A former trustee for Mind, a mental health charity, Margaret has set an "ambitious" goal of raising £10,000 through sponsorship to help the organisation continue its work.

Now nearing their target, the couple have asked for any final donations to help push them over the line while they complete their walk.

Margaret said: "We've had some incredibly generous donations, but it's the small donations that mean just as much because they all add up, and it's a symbol of people supporting each other."

If you would like to donate, visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/anna-sargent10