Helen Hyland, Fundraising Manager, ME Association.
Our sincere congratulations to John Levett who conquered the Chiltern Challenge in very wet weather last weekend.
John says that he has never tackled anything quite like it before, but was inspired to do something, anything, to show support for his daughter Elaine who fell ill with M.E. some 13 years ago, when she was just 21.
And he didn’t take the soft option – no shorter routes for John – he managed to walk the full 100km in less than 24 hours, and still found energy at the end of it all to clock in to put our minds are rest.
He tells us that he is tired today, but immensely proud that he seems to be the only walker who managed the full distance without blisters!
John said: “It all went well thank you. I managed to complete the 100k inside 24 hours but it was very, very tough. It rained all day and into the night. However I changed my socks and used plenty of talc on my feet and changed my wet trainers after 50k – which probably helped me to avoid blisters.”
“I have never done anything like this before. I did have a serious dip around 50k and felt ill as well as completely drained. I really thought I had very little left and considered whether it was wise to continue. But a change of clothes, a hot meal, and a massage reinvigorated me. So, I engaged the warrior spirit and cracked on. ”
“To my surprise from that moment on I just grew stronger. I even broke out into a run as the finish line was in view. It was a great experience and hopefully we will raise a respectable sum of money for our charity. But, at the moment, I cannot imagine doing a similar event again as everything is sore, swollen, and painful. It's a couple of days in sliders while my tired feet recover!”
John knows that his body will heal given time and rest, unlike sufferers of M.E. when they exert themselves.
He said of his daughter, Elaine, that, “She has essentially disappeared from life because of the impact it has on her body and at 34 has missed out on the normal life milestones of career, having a family etc. She lives in constant pain and is unable to lead a normal life.”
John really hopes that we will see advances in science leading to effective treatments and hopefully one day, a cure. His aim in walking was the hope that any money raised will get us closer to that goal.
Please donate to John's fundraising page and help him break through his target or to read more about his story. Thank you, John, for all you have done for M.E. and for the ME Association.
The ME Association
Real People. Real Disease. Real M.E.
We are a national charity working hard to make the UK a better place for people whose lives have been devastated by an often-misunderstood neurological disease.
If you would like to support our efforts and help ensure we can inform, support, advocate and invest in biomedical research, then please donate today.
Just click the image opposite and visit our JustGiving page for one-off donations, to establish a regular payment or to create your own fundraising event.
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ME Association Registered Charity Number 801279