A Devon man has embarked on a 1,000-mile journey across the UK in memory of family members and friends lost to aggressive brain tumours.
Jeff Lancaster, 63, from Barnstaple, is walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Jeff set off on Sunday, May 17, and hopes to complete the challenge in around 60 days while camping and carrying his own equipment. He said he expects to cover an average of around 20 miles a day.
His challenge has been inspired by the deaths of close friends and family members over the past decade. Jeff’s brother David Lancaster, jewellery designer Kit Heath, his close friend Ian Dennis and his wife’s cousin Julian Cartwright-Taylor all died from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain tumour.
Jeff said: “This cause is deeply personal to me. Four close friends and family members have died prematurely because of this glioblastoma brain tumour.
“I wanted a challenge to test me physically and mentally, one that really reflects the scale of their loss and the brutality of their illness.”
He said he expects to walk around 40,000 steps each day and burn roughly 4,000 calories daily during the challenge.
Although friends and family members will join him for sections of the route, much of the walk will be completed alone.
Jeff said: “Walking alone will be challenging and quite uplifting – a time to reflect on why I’m doing it and who I am doing it for.
“Yet I won’t be alone for long as I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of friends offering to support me by walking an hour or so with me and hopefully buying me lunch or dinner.”
Jeff said the hardest moments would likely come when fatigue and poor weather conditions take their toll.
He added: “There will be moments when all of that, the exhaustion, the cold, the rain, collides at once, and your morale plummets.
“Those are the moments that will test me the most, yet it will be those tough moments that will define this challenge.”
Jeff has spent several months preparing for the walk and said he would keep thinking about those affected by brain tumours whenever the challenge becomes difficult.
He said: “The average survival for glioblastoma is just 12 to 18 months. That context makes sore feet and tired legs feel very manageable.
“Failure to complete this challenge is not an option for me.”
Jeff is aiming to raise £25,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity through the challenge. Donations can be made via the JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/jeff-lancaster-1000.
He added: “Glioblastoma is a ruthless killer that cuts lives short and leaves families broken-hearted and bereft.
“This challenge is my way of raising awareness and funds in the memory of those I have lost, and doing something meaningful to support those that are currently and those that will be affected by this condition.”
Stacey Vincent, from the community fundraising team at The Brain Tumour Charity, thanked Jeff for taking on the challenge.
She said: “Every day in the UK, 35 people hear the words ‘you have a brain tumour’ and unlike other cancers, survival rates have not improved over the last 40 years.
“It’s through the incredible efforts of people like Jeff that we can change these shocking statistics in the future and bring hope to the thousands of people who are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year.”
More information about The Brain Tumour Charity can be found at https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org
