Walking from North Wales to London for breast cancer

Extraordinary fundraisers Gynette Janney, from Hawarden, and Lucy Cummins, from Essex, are taking on the challenge of a lifetime, walking 260 miles from North Wales to London in just seven days.

The incredible duo are aiming to raise thousands of pounds for MoonWalk London organisers, breast cancer charity Walk the Walk. Since they started supporting the charity, Gynette and Lucy have already raised in excess of £100,000 between them. Walk the Walk grants funds to organisations across the UK living with breast and other cancers.

The “7 Ultras in 7 Days” will see Gynette and Lucy leave Saltney in Flintshire, near Gynette’s home on Sunday 12th May, to walk to the capital. They will cover at least 37 miles, every single day. The final leg of their unique challenge will see them take on the Full Moon (26.2 miles) at the iconic overnight fundraising event The MoonWalk London on Saturday 18th May.

Gynette and Lucy met each other for the first time at a long-distance walking event in 2013.

7 Ultras Challenge - Schedule

• Sunday 12th May – Saltney, North Wales to Market Drayton, Shropshire (37 Miles)

• Monday 13th May – Market Drayton to Smethwick, West Midlands (37.6 miles)

• Tuesday 14th May – Smethwick to Ufton, Warwickshire (37 miles)

• Wednesday 15th May – Ufton to Towcester, Northamptonshire (37 miles)

• Thursday 16th May – Towcester to Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire (37 miles)

• Friday 17th May – Berkhamsted to Chiswick, London (37 miles)

• Saturday 18th May – Chiswick to Clapham Common, London. Followed by Walk the Walk’s 5K Zoom Walk (11am). Finally, starting at 10.30pm, the Full Moon (26.2 miles) at The MoonWalk London, starting and finishing at Clapham Common.  (37 miles)

Lucy Cummins says: 

“Over the last two decades, walking has become such a huge part of my life. I can’t wait to take on my biggest challenge yet with my amazing walking friend Gynette Janney. Once again, we’ll be raising money for MoonWalk organisers, the wonderful breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, a cause very close to my heart, after I lost my big sister to the disease eight years ago. Gynette and I have an incredible friendship and I’m sure that this will help us - we walk together brilliantly and chat constantly. Walking such a long way is going to be a huge achievement, but my approach is simply going to be that I’ll put one foot in front of the other, for quite a long time! As a challenge, I feel it’s doable and if I can raise even more money for the wonderful charity Walk the Walk, it’ll be totally fabulous!”

Gynette Janney says: 

“I’m really excited about taking on this huge challenge and feeling very positive about it! We’ve both done other multi day walking events previously, but obviously this one is a bit of step up. I’ve learnt over the years about what I need to eat and drink to keep my body working each day at such high levels and for such long distances. Being stubborn certainly helps too, when you have to be in the mindset of finishing one very long walk, then getting up the next morning and doing it again. Then again and again!” 

To find out more information about Walk the Walk, go to: 

www.walkthewalk.org

Breast cancer charity Walk the Walk

• Walk the Walk specialises in all things walking – organising many different challenges and events, as well as promoting the now proven benefits of walking for health and well-being.
• Walk the Walk is best known for the original night-time walk, its flagship and now iconic MoonWalk events in London, Scotland and Iceland, where thousands of women, men and children take on a Half or Full marathon overnight wearing its trademark decorated bras, to raise awareness that ‘anyone can get breast cancer.’
• Walk the Walk has raised over £141 million to date.
• Walk the Walk fundraising not only supports campaigns for cancer prevention, but is also dedicated to making grants to help those living with breast and other cancers.

Pictured - Gynette Janney and Lucy Cummins.