I plan to keep doing the MoonWalk until I physically can’t

I first signed up to do the MoonWalk because I was curious about it as an event. I was fascinated by the idea of walking through the city in the middle of the night. A few people were talking about doing it and I just thought to myself - how different is that?   

Having completed the MoonWalk 15 times, I would confidently say I am a power walker. I love to encourage others to join in and I make an effort to recruit people to take part. I do have one rule though and that is if you can keep up with me I will walk with you but I won’t slow down.  

I have completed the MoonWalk on my own a number of times but I have also done it as part of a small team, which is difficult and slows you down with all the nattering. My son and my daughter have both joined me in my madness and so have many friends. My husband is yet to do it but he has a dodgy knee and is better at looking after me post-race. 

My favourite year was when I did it with my daughter for the first time. There was a point on the route where we had to get to Tower Bridge before it opened. This was scheduled to happen quite early and if we had to stop and wait for the bridge we would lose all motivation. So when we got to the start line as soon as they said go Anna grabbed my hand and we were off like a shot. Once we were over the bridge I thought we would slow up but Anna had this real energy about her and was determined to beat her brothers time of 6 hours.

Getting ready for those miles

When it comes to training I have made walking a part of my everyday routine. I walk two miles to the station in the morning. I nap on my train then I walk another mile to work to the Institute of Cancer Research. I am busy on my feet all day and then I walk back to the station. On the way home I have to walk those 2 miles back to my house but this time it’s uphill. I always struggle at the start of the hill but I get into it by half way. 

The toughest part of the walk is between miles 10 to 15 as you know you aren’t over the halfway hump yet and you have a long way to go. It is dark and cold and you need a friendly face in the crowd. My son puts a playlist together for me and that often cheers me up in the darkest parts.  

A particular highlight for me each year is that my friend Angus has handed me a little bag of chopped up snickers and satsumas. This offers me a real boost as I get to mile 20 and think, mile 22 is just around the corner and I know Angus will be there with my treat bag.  

The best part of the route is definitely the finish line. It is a tough walk but I enjoy it and the sense of achievement as you cross the finish is truly amazing. I really enjoy the socialising around at the end chatting to people.

Remembering the real heroes

The real heroes of the night are the women and men who aren’t well and take part themselves. I am so fortunate to have never been touched by breast cancer but when you hear the stories of these incredible men and women walking with power and purpose you can’t help but be moved.  

When it comes to fundraising, I have a group of amazing friends who pay me for my insanity every year. I do hope to get to the £1,000 mark one year, I got to about £900 last year so I was very close.  

I plan to keep doing the MoonWalk until I physically can’t.