Former WW2 Land Army Girl 98-year-old Dorrie in fundraising cycle challenge for Hospiscare

Great grandmother Dorrie Pack, aged 98, is cycling 25 miles on a static bike to raise money for Hospiscare – making her the oldest person to take on a fundraising challenge for the charity.

Throughout November, she’s completing the challenge at her local gym, LED Ottery Leisure Centre, who’ve given her a free month’s membership.

She said: “I'm absolutely loving it and enjoying every minute. The people in the gym are great fun - I’ve been doing warm up exercises with them and have even tried out some weights.”

Dorrie’s always been fit and active – from serving in the WW2 Land Army as a teenager; training yoga teachers into her 70s; and attending Zumba classes for many years.

Every day, she does yoga stretches and breathing exercises, and walks with her walker “for a solid hour, no matter the weather”.

She laughed: “I never think about my age - I forget that I'm 98. I don't worry about things, I'm just lucky to be here. I've kept in touch with my Zumba class and I'm going down there this month to join in and dance with them.”

Dorrie has smashed her Hospiscare fundraising targets three times already, doubling her original target before she even started. She is now on her way to reaching a new £2,000 goal, through online donations and collecting tins at the leisure centre and around the community.

Hospiscare is the local hospice charity for Exeter, central and east Devon, and provides specialist care for more than 2,000 patients and their families every year.

Just 24 per cent of the charity’s funding comes from the NHS, so it depends on the support of the community and fundraisers like Dorrie, to provide this care at no cost to its patients and their families.

Dorrie said: “It was a dream of mine to do something like this for Hospiscare. It’s our favourite charity in the village – we appreciate all that Hospiscare does for the community.

“At 98, there's not many challenges I can realistically do. Someone in my group thought about static cycling, so that’s how it was born! My granddaughter and great grandson sorted me out with a static bike to practise in the kitchen before I started.”

Dorrie’s being supported in her challenge by a group of her friends, including Alison Sharples.

Alison said: “Dorrie’s so well-loved and motivated to do this challenge as she’s a strong, cheerful character, with a love of life and people.

“Our group of ladies, eight in all, have set up a rota to accompany Dorrie to the gym, three times a week throughout November.”

Dorrie worked in the Land Army throughout WW2, helping farmers to provide food for the nation.

She smiled: “I went to join the Wrens, as my brothers were in the Navy, but at 16 I was too young – so got sent to the next queue along and I joined up for the Land Army instead, by lying about my age!

“It was just wonderful. I was in this big house that had been commandeered by the agriculture ministry, working on a farm ploughing and thatching and everything until I got demobbed at the end of the war.

“I then went on to get married and have my lovely family and have always tried to stay fit and active along the way.”

To support Dorrie in her challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/page/25in25