Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page! Please find below why I am doing this:

2019 Challenge

In 2016, my dad and I climbed the UK Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Peak, and Snowdon) over three days. Since then, I have vowed to undertake at least one physically demanding challenge each year. Therefore, in 2017, I challenged myself and successfully completed a 140.6-mile ultratriathlon (Ironman) in Pembrokeshire, Wales. In 2018, I completed the harder-than-expected undulating Dartmoor Demon 88-mile cycle sportive (I also completed my second Ironman too [Bolton, UK]).

I initially decided to set myself the goal to complete a 50-miler ultramarathon: The Mendip Marauder. Unfortunately, due to IT band issues significantly impacting upon my training, I had to defer this challenge until 2020 (update: because of covid-19, this challenge has been postponed again until 2021). However, in the meantime, I have set myself a new challenge: Starting from Thursday 1st August 2019, until Friday 31st July 2020, I will be running at least 5k (~3mi) a day for this whole year! That's a total of at least 1,825l (~1,132mi) during this time!

Just like most of my challenges, I will be doing this in memory of my sister Rosie and to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). If you do not know Rosie’s story and my connection to CHSW, then please do read this below. However, I will just say here that CHSW is an amazing charity that provides essential palliative care and emotional support to life-limited children and their families. CHSW has been imperative for Rosie, me, and my family.

CHSW relies on donations for their funding and I hope to raise as much money as possible through undertaking this event. If you can, please do donate and support this fantastic charity!

Also, if you'd like to follow my daily runs, I record and evidence my runs on my Instagram, @_buncombe !

Rosie’s Story

In 2000, my sister Rosie started to develop significant and atypical leg pains in her right leg. My parents took Rosie to our local hospital; the doctor ran several scans and informed us that there was some ‘shadowing’ around the bone in her right leg. A specialist later explained that Rosie had Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Rosie started chemotherapy right away. Unfortunately, the tumour grew larger and she needed a leg amputation. This did not stop the cancer. The cancer was chronic. Chemotherapy ceased.

After the chemotherapy was ceased, we were notified of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). CHSW provides hospice care for life-limited and terminally ill children and their families from the South West of England. We all spent Rosie’s final days at Little Bridge House, a hospice of theirs in North Devon. These days were spent in comfort and with joy, and she was surrounded by people that loved her the most. She sadly left us at Little Bridge House in 2001, at the age of eight.

CHSW is a fantastic and critical charity. Not only did they provide outstanding end-of-life care for Rosie, they also supported us through this and consoled us after Rosie’s passing. I cannot state how much we owe to CHSW.

Rosie died when I was five-years-old, but she is always in my life. She is the bravest person I know and my greatest hero.