Henfield Joggers take on Three Peaks Challenge

Henfield Joggers running club are set to take on the Three Peaks Challenge this Saturday, raising money for St Barnabas House hospice.
Henfield Joggers running clubHenfield Joggers running club
Henfield Joggers running club

Two teams totalling 18 people will be taking on the 24 hour challenge, which will see them climb the three highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales; Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon.

The total walking distance is 23 miles, the total ascent is 3,064 metres and they will be covering a distance of 500 miles by road.

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Henfield Joggers take on the challenge every other year and each time they do it they support a different charity.

They last completed the challenge in 2016 to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.

This year the club decided to raise money for Worthing-based hospice St Barnabas House which has been caring for Gary Burton, the husband of runner Alison Burton, who has bowel cancer.

Gary and Alison, who have been together for 38 years, moved to Henfield less than two years ago. Alison, 54, joined the Henfield Joggers in early 2017.

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Alison said: “One evening they asked me whether my husband would like to come along and join the club.

“I told them he wasn’t well and Mark, the club leader, came back to me the following week and said they wanted to support St Barnabas.”

Gary, 56, is now retired but was a plasterer by trade.

He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September 2017 and started chemotherapy in October.

Since being referred to St Barnabas House, Gary and his family have been visited by the hospice’s community palliative care nurses and had counselling sessions with the hospice’s family services team.

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Gary said that knowing he has the support of the hospice staff at the other end of the phone has been invaluable to him.

He added: “I’m proud of all of them for doing this.

“I think we live quite selfish lives.

“If it doesn’t affect you it doesn’t matter, that’s a lot of people’s attitude in life.

“Cancer has been quite rife in our family, so I’ve always had a link with cancer.”

Explaining what it means to her to be doing the challenge in honour of Gary, Alison said: “It will be a real sense of achievement.”

The Henfield Joggers have raised £1,918.50 of their £2,500 target. To sponsor them, visit www.justgiving.com/henfieldjoggers3peakschalle

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