South Downs Charity Challenge
While taking my mum for treatment at the The Royal Marsden I spotted a poster about a fundraising walk along the South Downs, not far from where she lives. It felt like the perfect opportunity to give something back.
I roped in a friend and both my sisters, and suddenly we had a plan. May seemed a long way off and 26 miles of walking didn’t sound too daunting at the time. But the day arrived far more quickly than expected. After a winter of short walks and very little proper training, I didn’t feel nearly as prepared as I should have been.
It was an early start, meeting at Brighton Racecourse at 6.30am after a very short night’s sleep. My bag was crammed with “just in case” snacks, and I had no idea what to expect from an organised event like this.
The weather forecast looked promising for most of the day, with rain due to arrive around 5pm. Surely we’d be finished by then?
After collecting our numbers and organising our kit, we listened to the briefing and set off. Within the first mile everyone naturally settled into smaller groups, each with its own leader and sweeper.
The weather was glorious. We marched on, enjoying the incredible views and chatting as we walked. Our first snack and toilet stop was very welcome. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the enormous basket of caramel bars waiting for us. Refuelled, we carried on.
Eventually we reached the beautiful village of Alfriston. The pub looked incredibly tempting, but our lunch stop was set up in the car park, complete with a patch of grass where we could sit, relax and, for some, patch up blisters. The sandwiches, made by the local café, were delicious, and we enjoyed a much needed rest in the shade on my PACMAT Patch.
Before setting off again, our team leaders warned us that the second half of the walk would be much tougher. At first the route felt gentle enough, winding alongside the river, through beech woods, past chocolate-box cottages, across fields and over stiles.
And then came the steps.
They seemed endless.
Finally we reached the top, overlooking the estuaries and another welcome snack stop.
After a few more caramel bars, we gathered ourselves together and continued along a well-kept path. Not long afterwards, the temperature dropped and the rain began. We plodded on towards the first of the Seven Sisters.
The wind and rain quickly turned bitter turning to hail. Up and down we went over the chalky hills, with lighthouses appearing and disappearing over the horizon. Eventually we could see Eastbourne in the distance and knew we were getting close.
Another snack stop, more caramel bars! The rain eased briefly and we almost dried off… until it started again.
The final stretch felt dragged. Ponies appeared on the horizon, and then, gradually, friends and family started to appear too. We knew the finish line couldn’t be far away.
After one last mile on the tarmac, we were cheered into the hotel where we received our medals and a glass of bubbly.
Looking back, I definitely overpacked. My emergency sandwiches stayed untouched in my Nom Nom bag, and thankfully the first aid kit from Ouch Pouch, packed with Compeed and paracetamol, wasn’t needed quite as much as expected.
What an unforgettable day. Stunning scenery, delicious snacks, all the weather and all the caramel bars! Lovely to spend some time chatting with friends, sisters and other walkers. And we raised quite a lot of money for The Royal Marsden. Thank you to everyone who sponsored us.
The event was brilliantly organised by Charity Challenge.