90-year-old woman raises money for charity by climbing up her stairs 282 times

Margaret Payne scaled Scotland's Suilven mountain when she was 15, and now at 90, she climbed the equivalent 2,398 feet without having to leave her home.

Payne lives in Sutherland, Scotland, and while quarantined, she has been getting exercise by climbing up her stairs. Inspired by Capt. Tom Moore, the World War II vet who raised tens of millions of dollars for the National Health Service by walking 100 laps in his yard ahead of his 100th birthday, Payne decided to turn her daily trek into a fundraiser. She calculated that if she climbed up her stairs 282 times, it would be the same as if she reached the peak of Suilven.

It took 73 days, but she hit her goal on Tuesday, raising $521,000 for the NHS and three other charities in honor of the care her husband Jim received before he died last year. Payne has earned accolades from Prince Charles, who sent her a letter praising her "indomitable spirit" and "magnificent efforts in raising money for vital charities."

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While Payne told The Associated Press she "can't imagine myself ever doing anything like this again," her indoor climb was an important reminder that "you don't sit back and think, 'I'm getting old, I can just relax.' If you want to keep going, you must keep active, and keep walking." Catherine Garcia

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