Meet the 365'ers

• When I first proposed the idea of the 365challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK, I saw it as a one-off something that I could do as part of my commitment to support Cancer Research UK (CRUK). But in no time at all, others wanted to play their part and take the 365challenge too, and help raise even more money for this great charity. So, I included that idea in my planning, and as you've seen throughout this site, I've been inviting people to join in. You could take on the 365challenge as an individual, or why not form a 365challenge team, and get together with some friends to set a really huge goal and help raise more money for CRUK?. There has been a great response to the idea of being part of the 365challenge, and as people "sign up"for their own 365challenges, I plan to include their details on this page, with links to their Just Giving page, when they set those up. So ... let's meet the 365'ers...Carl Williams - Carl was the gym manager at Total Fitness in Chester. He was first on board with this idea, and he's really up for this challenge. Carl's 365challenge was to RUN ACROSS AMERICA - that's 3200 miles - he started on September 1st 2008, along with me, but then got injured so has taken a little time to get back on track, but he tells me he is on his way again.
• Anouska Watkins wanted to commemorate her best friend, Debbie, who died aged just 27. She's running a marathon a month, possibly with the actual London marathon thrown in next year if she gets a place - making 13 marathons in a year - oh, and actually cycling the Lands End to John O'Groats route with a friend next summer, and (as if that wasn't enough), swimming the length of the River Dee (Chester's river), just 110 Km! What glorious madness! Visit Anouska's website and maybe support her through her own Just Giving page by clicking through here: Anouska's365challenge
• Audrey Davies, a friend living in Scotland, has been inspired by the 365challenge too, and she plans to Cycle the Karakoram High Way - the highest paved highway in the world, running between China and Pakistan and 1300km long(!), Swim the Firth of Forth (77km) and complete the distance of 12 Marathons. Another amazing feat! Visit her website here: Audrey's Website, and see how she's doing with her fund-raising here: Audrey's Challenge.
• Debbie Fitzgerald is an Area Volunteer Manager with CRUK who lost all sense following my presentation to CRUK in November and decided there and then that she had to take on the 365challenge in memory of her friend, Duncan Maisey, who died of a brain tumour aged just 27 years old. Her planned 365challenge ... "I would like to challenge myself to run 1 marathon a month (12 marathons), swim the channel (22 miles), walk coast 2 coast of UK (Wainwright's St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay, 190 miles) and to cycle across the USA at (3200miles - that's 62 miles a week on a bike!)". Barking, just blooming barking ... but for a great cause. Great to have you on board, Debbie! You can visit Debbie's 365challenge website by clicking here: Inspired by Duncan Maisey, and see how she's doing with her fund-raising here: Debbie Fitz's Just Giving Page.
• Mark Pawlett is a friend who has been excited about the 365challenge since he heard about it. He's come on board now, and is planning to run, cycle and row across Australia - 2455 miles from Perth to Sydney. He spent time travelling over there and really enjoyed it, so thought this would add a personal touch to his 365challenge.
• A very special 365'er now. Jon Carr is Brenda's son (the inspiration behind this 365challenge concept) and my nephew. The family have been living in Australia for most of his life, and so he has decided to honour his mother's memory by covering the 2368 Km, door to door, from Brenda's last home in Brisbane to their first home in Tasmania when they first emigrated there in 1987. He reckons 6.5 Km a day will get him there, but how he achieves this is still to be finalised. Given that he lives in Oz, he'll be raising money for the Cancer Council Queensland, rather than CRUK, as well as the Karuna Hospice in Brisbane, who provided such wonderful care for Brenda until she died.
• Another nephew, Rory Clerkin, has signed up now too. He's based in Dublin, so he's raising money for the Irish Cancer Society with his 365challenge. Rory is keeping his challenges Irish, so he's Cycling the Irish coastline (3700Km); Rowing the Shannon river (320Km); Swimming the Irish sea, Dublin to Holyhead (110Km); and Running from Malin Head to Mizen Head (the length of Ireland - 552Km). What can I say, except ... WOW!
• Frederika Poole saw my poster for the 365challenge in the gym, and wanted to join in too. Fred's step-father, Archie, died from cancer in 2007, and she's been thinking about how she could honour his memory, so when she saw the 365challenge, she knew it was just what she was looking for. Fred has decided that, rather than taking the 365challenge directly for CRUK, she wants to support her mother's charity, Archie's Chairs, set up in Archie's name, which provides Lazy-Boy style chairs to wards in the Christie Hospital (one of the North West's top Cancer Hospitals) for families wanting to stay with loved ones on the wards, so that they can do so in some comfort (personal experience inspired this idea!). She has set herself quite a challenge: 3 standard triathlons a month for a year! That's 3 x 10 Km running; 3 x 40 Km cycling; and 3 x 1.5 Km swimming a month! Go for it Fred!
• Peter Dinwoodie, a friend and work colleague of Frederika, heard about the 365challenge from his friend on a Friday, and was so taken by the idea, he was looking to sign up for the task by the Saturday - he's triatloning every month too. Peter's father was diagnosed with cancer last year, but I'm pleased to report that he has responded to treatment and is doing well now. Support Pete by clicking through to Pete's 365 Just Giving page.
• Sabrina Sallis is another Area Volunteer Manager for CRUK. When she heard my presentation about the 365challenge to CRUK recently, she got excited and she got involved! Now she and her two friends, Catherine Brace and Jennifer Riley, are taking it on. They plan to run the Race for Life every week for their 365challenge year! Great work, Sabrina, and it's great to have CRUK staff on board taking the 365challenge for themselves. Visit Sabrina's Just Giving Page and see how she's getting on.
• Louise Gambie is a student at Loughborough University who found the 365challenge in an internet search, and contacted me within what seemed like minutes to say she wanted to take on her own challenge! She is aiming to start in June 2009 (got to get through her studies first), and she has already started a Facebook Group - click here to learn more: Louise Gambie is planning her 365challenge!
• Jayne Legatt and her friends are set to create the first TEAM 365challenge Team, setting a joint target distance and working together to achieve their total distance, while generating a Teams' worth of sponsorship! It looks like there will be at least 8 team members, so we can hope for a great result from Jayne and the gang, many of whom work in the North West Events Team for CRUK.
• Rob McLellan is our oldest (so far) 365'er at 61 years young. Having lost several family members and friends to cancer, he wanted to do something to help CRUK, so when he learned about the 365challenge, he knew he'd found just the thing! Rob has set some great challenges, starting April 1st 2009. Being based in Hereford, he's going to Row the Length of the River Wye (251 Km), Cover the round trip distance from Hereford-Cardiff-London-Edinburgh-Hereford (1540 Km) on the cross trainer and treadmill), and most wonderful of all, in honour of Herefordshire's cider traditions, he's going to Raise the Equivalent of 36,500 Gallons of Cider (166 tonnes), by doing 13271 Single Arm Curls, using a 12.5 Kg weight!!! Brilliant! Follow Rob's progress on his 365challenge website, read the Hereford Times's article on Rob, and if you can, sponsor his efforts on his Just Giving page.
• Sharon Nichols discovered the 365challenge through CRUK, and immediately wanted to get involved! From her first email to me on September 25th 2009 to her proposed start date of October 12th 2009, it is clear that this is a lady who doesn't hang about! Her 365challenge: she's only going to cycle the distance of the 2009 Tour de France - all 3500Km of it, finishing with a flourish, cycling the final 22Km UP Mont Ventoux - in the flesh! She's also already started her blog, which you can read here: Sharon's 365challenge, and if you want to support her, visit Sharon's Justgiving Page.

Copyright © 2008; 2009; 2010 Colin Clerkin