The rain hadn't cleared up by the time we got to Richmond Park although spirits were very high generally - there were all sorts of activities going on, including Zumba classes to warm the competitors up and get them doing some stretching exercises.
As the girls were called forward to their own Zumba class - rather than larking about at the back - Finn and I went for a little walk around Richmond Park, making sure we were back in plenty of time to do the count down and cheer them on.
I even managed to photograph Shannon on the big screen as they set off!
And then they were off. It would be a few hours before Finn and I saw them again - very near Worcester Park, our first unofficial check point.
While waiting for them, there were some very strange sights that passed me, including this pink bear - he must have been very hot!
When the girls arrived, they were in very high spirits - the sun had come out and they were gently steaming while drying off from the rain. Apparently the walk was incredibly well organised and they'd had food and water and snacks at an official check point, so didn't really need me at all! Finn and I soon waved them off again and arranged to meet at Oaks Park - an old stomping ground from when we were growing up. It was mad to think that the walk was passing through all our old haunts from when we lived and went to school in Wallington, in Surrey.
Sadly, we got a call to say that Amanda was having to pull out with a back injury - Amanda had omitted to tell us that both her GP and her physio had advised her against doing the walk in the first place. By the time we reached her, she was in a bus shelter and soaked through - the rain had started back up with a vengeance. So we bundled her in the car and covered her in coats, sweatshirts, towels, dog blankets, etc, as she was freezing. We stopped just short of letting Finn get in the back with her to warm her up - we were more worried that he'd snaffle the shortbread biscuit supply than anything else! And then the four of us - me, Ann, Amanda and Finn - headed off to Oaks Park to meet Shannon with her lunch.
After a short lunch break, Shannon was off again, but not before we'd worked out where to meet her next - at Chaldon, the other side of Happy Valley/ Farthing Downs. As we waited at Chaldon, there were a steady stream of walkers retiring from the event - the rain had really churned up all the footpaths and had made it really unpleasant walking. I left Ann with Amanda and Finn and headed off back down the track to try and find Shannon and walk her back to the car - I only had to walk a mile or so before I found her and I grabbed her bag and walked back up with her. The atmosphere was lovely - all the competitors were in good spirits - mostly! - and encouraged each other along. The lane back to the car, though, smelt overwhelmingly of Deep Heat!
After a quick footbath and a water top up, Shannon got into warmer clothes and headed off on the next stage after we had worked out where next to meet her.
Amanda and I then dropped Auntie Ann back to Richard and we headed off to the next stage - a farm - where food and water was being laid on. This was an official checkpoint, but not one that we could park at. However, we chatted up the marshall and he let us pull in to the farmyard and I left Amanda with Finn, while I went to try and find Shannon to make sure she was ok. Sadly, she wasn't and I received a 'phone call asking to be rescued - so I headed back to the farmyard to collect the entourage and we headed a couple of miles back to pick Shannon up. Heartbreakingly, Shannon had slipped over on the mud - and God, was it awful - and had twisted her back and felt something ping. So sad as there wasn't anything that we could do except retire her from the event.
So very proud of both the girls - Amanda managed fifteen miles and Shannon walked twenty-five miles. But that doesn't take account of the six hundred miles both of them had done in training; or the sponsorship raised for Beating Bowel Cancer; the entertainment this walk has provided all of us with; the daft conversations we've all had over the course of the training walks; the massive improvement in fitness of both of them; and the joy they've both found. I know this won't be the last walking they do - just need to sort out the back injuries and I'm sure they'll be back. And no doubt I'll be involved in some small way too!
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