The Challenge

The 5 x 50 challenge involves me walking at least 5km a day for 50 consecutive days (running and cycling 5km are alternative ways to cover the distance each day, but not for me..!). The distance itself may not seem like a massive challenge, but having to do it every day, whether sun, rain (or snow!) does feel like a good push, especially when there are still days when simply getting me and Zachary out the door feels like a major achievement!

The challenge actually started on Easter Sunday (31 March) and finishes on Sunday 19 May, and Zachary and I have already made a strong start, averaging 7km a day!

The Motivation

As well as being a good balance for the cake consumption that seems to go hand in hand with new mummyhood (!) the real motivation for signing up to this challenge is to raise money for a very worthwhile cause – the Penny Brohn Cancer Care service. Although it’s a Bristol based charity, which may feel a long way away for many, it is very close to home for me. As you might already be aware, my lovely mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in March last year – in fact in the same 48 hours that Greig and I found out that we were expecting our baby. It’s been an incredibly challenging year for my mum but, helped by the motivation to become the wonderful granny she is, she has battled the cancer into submission and the signs are really good for her to continue to make a full recovery.

Mum received brilliant support from the Penny Brohn centre across different stages of her journey and she has actually signed up for a new challenge of her own – to trek the Himalayas to raise funds for them in November this year! I chose to raise money for Penny Brohn rather than some of the more established cancer charities because the centre really is quite special. As well as more traditional approaches to supporting individuals and families dealing with cancer, they offer access to complementary therapies and very much focus on the person as a whole. In addition, they rely completely on donations, and so really need our help.

Thank you, on behalf of me and my mum, as well as the Penny Brohn centre, for any support you feel able to give.