100k walk in memory after moment of madness

After a ‘moment of madness’ a woman from Haywards Heath is repeating a challenge to walk 100k to raise money in memory of her friend.
Edward Harris and Jo Ellis will walk 100k from London to Brighton on May 24Edward Harris and Jo Ellis will walk 100k from London to Brighton on May 24
Edward Harris and Jo Ellis will walk 100k from London to Brighton on May 24

Two years ago Jo Ellis was a part of Team Jimbo’s Journey, who raised £4357.66 in aid of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in memory of James Aldis, who passed away in September 2011 aged 25.

Her two former companions ‘politely declined’ when she suggested a repeat of their 2012 mission, an idea which surfaced after ‘a breif moment of madness’, Jo explained.

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Jo’s friend Edward Harris will be walking alongside her, but she is ‘not entirely sure has quite grasped the magnitude of the challenge ahead’.

Jo added: “Ed is very determined and focused, and has an awesome sense of humour, so just when I think I can’t get any more miserable at 4am with mud up to my knees, at least four toe nails hanging off, knowing there’s at least ten hours of walking left to do, I’m sure I can count on him to pull me out of my misery.”

In 2012 she finished the walk in 29 hours 54 minutes, six minutes before the cut off time.

“I was so overwhelmed I cried for about 20 minutes after crossing the finish line, and physically couldn’t walk for 3 days afterwards,” Jo described.

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The walk starts at Deer Park in Richmond and finishes at Brighton Racecourse.

Jo continued: “Jimbo himself was a huge supporter of the Hospital and raised a huge amount of money himself for the Charity when he visited all 92 League football stadiums in 92 hours so in his honour and memory we teamed up to create Team Jimbo’s Journey and put on our walking shoes.

“I desperately wanted to do something to raise funds for the hospital who had treated James, and to achieve something memorable, worthwhile and significant in his memory.”

Almost a quarter of starters didn’t finish the gruelling challenge in 2012.

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“Our pain and suffering in the short term is nothing compared to what hundreds of people go through on a daily basis. Curing Cancer I can’t do, walking I can!” she said.

Donations can be made at wwww.virginmoneygiving.com/team/joandeds100kjourney