Helping Hand Winner - Cancer Research UK

Leanne Thornewill recently completed a 40 mile walk from Keswick to Barrow for Cancer Research UK, raising over £1,500.

Leanne, who works within the Engineering division of Jenrick at the company’s Burton on Trent office, confirmed several months previous that she and a group of friends would be entering this gruelling challenge on Saturday 9th May to help raise money for Cancer.

Leanne explained why she decided to undertake this event;

“I set myself a time of 10 hours. This is a famous walk completed each year by thousands of people to raise money for different charities.

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading independent organisation dedicated to cancer research.

Around 285,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK. Cancer Research UK are working hard to improve people’s understanding of cancer and develop better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease.

There are a number of reasons for me doing this walk, from 2006 to 2009 I have had 3 close family/ friends diagnosed with Cancer. You always read about people getting Cancer you never expect to hear that people who you are close to you have been diagnosed with it.

In 2006 I had a close family member who passed away battling Cancer, that year I ran the Race for Life.

My Aunty was fighting Cancer in 2007 and thankfully in 2008 she had the ‘all clear’, however my best friend’s mum is still battling Breast Cancer.

I wanted to do something a little different this year to raise money, a higher target and something for me to work towards.”

On the day . . .

“Where shall I start . . .

The walk was hard, the hardest challenge of my life, walking 40 miles was going to be hard anyway, but to walk in hail, sleet and heavy rain mixed with a lot of wind, pushed me to the limit mentally and physically.

Apparently it was the worse weather they have had in 43 years of the walk!

I did complete the walk, just out of the 10 hours I had initially set myself; my finishing time was 10 hours and 13 mins, so I’m very proud I even did it in that time.

Yes, my legs were still killing me for a week afterwards along with a nasty cold too.

Thank you all for your help and support and for enabling me to be the lucky recipient of the Jenrick Helping Hand – between us, we have managed to raise a total of £1500."

To read Leanne's reasons for entering the Keswick to Barrow - please click here