In May, my Mum and I signed up for The Orwell Challenge, and I set us the goal of completing the full 25 mile walk! Although my Mum had been on a couple of long-distance charity hikes many years ago, I had no experience at all of long-distance walking. We started going on daily walks to increase our pace. At the beginning, we were averaging 2.5mph, but by the end of our training, we could easily walk at a speed of 3.5mph.
When we signed up, we decided we would raise money for the Woolverstone Ward and Macmillan team at Ipswich Hospital, as they have helped my Grandparents and Auntie through their ongoing battles with cancer. We set up a JustGiving page, with a target of £100. We quickly exceeded this, and by the morning of the Challenge, we had reached £330, which was amazing!
On the day of the Walk, I was excited, but also very nervous, not knowing quite what to expect. I knew it was going to be tough, but worth it. We arrived at Gainsborough Sports Centre, Ipswich, just before 7am, and checked in. There were so many people, and everyone seemed so much older than me, which was a bit unnerving. We set off at 7.20, under a brilliant blue sky, full of hope and optimism, and also knowing it was going to be an exceptionally hot day.
We reached the first Checkpoint, quickly and easily, and pleased with our progress. We were given such a lovely welcome, and the added bonus of delicious flapjacks - they were so good, I had two! We had reached the foreshore of the River Orwell, and it was so much harder underfoot - definitely the trickiest section of the entire Walk in that respect: rocks, seaweed, fallen trees and mud!
As we approached Levington, we went up onto the river wall, which was much easier, and allowed us to speed up again, but the temperature was rising and there was no shade at all! This was a Checkpoint where you could head back, but we were still confident that we wanted to - and would be able to - complete the full 25 miles.
The next stretch was fine, and we met a few of the marathon runners heading back, so gave each of them a cheer, which raised smiles on their very red faces! The next leg - from Trimley Foreshore to the midway point - was the hardest part by far. No shade, no breeze, the temperature was soaring as we approached midday, and the blisters had started. We had to stop several times because of my blisters, and lots of people passed us, which was really demoralising. They were all very kind, and offered help and support, but it didn’t change how difficult it was getting for me. I just wanted to give up and go home. I kept going, for my Mum, Grandparents and Auntie, and tried to imagine the feeling of completing the walk.
When we finally reached the halfway Checkpoint, I felt relieved and so happy to be able to sit on a chair in the shade! After we had eaten and had plenty of drink, read a few messages of support, and chatted with other walkers, I felt refreshed and my hopes were restored, and we carried on.
The second half was a very different experience, with plenty of shade, which was very rewarding as it was so incredibly hot. We had slowed up, but we were still going, and determined to finish. At the next Checkpoint, our eyes lit up as we saw chocolate cake, lemon cake and strawberries! We tried them all, and they were the best we had ever tasted - very refreshing and a welcome sugar boost!
We looped back to Levington Creek, and carried on to the Checkpoint at Decoy, where there was a fairytale cottage and garden. The inhabitant was a hungry peacock, which was very intimidating as it clearly wanted my afternoon tea!
We carried on, not knowing there was a surprise in store. We had just passed a beautiful house in the middle of nowhere, when someone shouted my name! We turned around, and saw a chaperone from my drama group! She ran out to us, and gave me the biggest hug! We had a chat, and then her daughter came out, and she asked her to go back to their house and bring us each an ice lolly! We accepted with happy smiles, and thanked them very much as we headed on our way - time was pressing on. We set off, grateful for another boost, knowing that we were almost home.
As we reached the last Checkpoint, we were grateful for more chairs under a gazebo, and the volunteers sprayed us with water to cool us down! Once we were ready, we set off on the final stretch - just over 2 miles to go!
We caught up with some fellow walkers, also fundraising for the Woolverstone Ward, and we continued to walk and chat with them to reach the finish. My Dad and sister were waiting, and cheered us across the finish line! It was such a massive relief and I was so proud of us for achieving our goal! My Mum and I gave each other a big hug, and went to collect our medals and certificates, where we were asked if we would be back next year! We laughed and said we would have to sleep on it!
It seemed a long walk to reach the car, but we made it, and it was so lovely to sit down on a cushioned seat again! It was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I did it, and we are considering taking part again next year! We have now raised £530 which is incredible, and the most money I have ever raised. I can’t wait to hand it over to the staff and volunteers at Woolverstone Ward and the Macmillan team at Ipswich Hospital. They deserve it all and so much more.
By Emily Allen
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