Bowel cancer survivor to walk Land's End to John O'Groats

In 2020, John and Wendy were devastated by John's diagnosis of Stage 3 - 4 Bowel Cancer. John underwent through five weeks of intensive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and, a radical, life-changing 15-hour pelvic exenteration operation which resulted in the formation of two stomas. Following an intense recovery period, the couple are more determined and resolute in their plans to take on the 1,000 mile walk from Lands End to John O'Groats. It is also likely that John is the first person with two stomas to undertake this walk and they are currently in conversation with Guinness World Records to get this verified.

The couple have decided to use their challenge to raise money for two charities close to their hearts and have set themselves an ambitious £10,000 fundraising target. The funds raised will be split equally between St Mark’s, the UK's national bowel hospital in London where John had his life-saving surgery, and Willen Hospice, a charity based in their home town of Milton Keynes.

They are starting their walk on the 1st April, however, this is no foolhardy undertaking. They have had to meticulously plan the logistics of the walk and estimate that it could take up to three months to complete this epic challenge; it is certainly not for the faint hearted! The start date also marks the first day of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and they hope this will inspire others facing a similar diagnosis, to show that there is life after bowel cancer and after the radical surgery of exenteration. In addition to this, John will be celebrating his 70th birthday a week into the walk, so it goes to show that the saying 'age is just a number' is certainty ringing true in this case.

John and Wendy have already raised over half of their £10,000 fundraising target and we invite you to help them reach this target by making a donation in support of their epic charity challenge.

https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/john-and-wendy-are-walking-from-lejog