A MOTHER and her friend have completed the Jurassic Coast Challenge, a 100km walk, raising £3,000 for her son, Eli who has cystic fibrosis.
The money raised will go towards medical equipment to keep Eli as well as possible.
Judith Allen and her friend Sheila Weeks conquered the 100km walk (62 miles) starting from Poole through Swanage, Durdle Door, Lulworth, on to Weymouth, through Abbotsbury and into Bridport, joining 2,700 people in the challenge hosted by Ultra Challenge.
They were fundraising for Judith’s son, Eli, who has cystic fibrosis, a life-limiting condition that produces sticky secretions in the body. Medical equipment which could help keep his lungs clear, costs £6,000.
Eli’s treatment for this condition is intense and time-consuming with him already being on multiple medication and twice daily physiotherapy to keep him as well as possible.
Judith and Sheila began their journey on Saturday 21st July at 6.50am, leaving from Poole Harbour, and they walked until nearly 2am. After about three hours’ rest, they continued from 6.00am the next day, finally reaching the end of the trek in Bridport at 8.09pm, with a final time of 33:48:13.
Judith said, “Our time won’t break any records, but I think we won the medal for determination and resilience. We have both never done anything like this before and I’m so grateful to my friend Sheila for volunteering to complete this crazy challenge with me. I would never had got through it without her support and also the support of her husband, Jerry, who met us at every check point to support and encourage us both.”
During the challenge, they both had to deal with steep hills in the dark, using headtorches alongside sheer cliff drops. 571 people gave up along the way, with most ending their trek at this point, saying the descent in the dark was too difficult.
Judith continued, “The fact that we made it over extremely challenging terrain and after suffering from aching and tired muscles, blisters, painful feet, and myself on the verge of having to pull out due to the effects of the heat, I am immensely proud of what we achieved. We have trained hard for this since February and it paid off.
“I wanted to do something challenging and special for my son to earn sponsorship to help him have access to the best treatment for his condition. This was an immense challenge for us, the whole thing was brutal, but the views were amazing.”
If you would like to donate towards medical equipment for Eli, visit their JustGiving page on www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/for-eli
