29-06-2025
Flintshire: Fundraising duo's 350km walk for cancer charity
Gynette Janney, 53, from Hawarden, Flintshire, and Lucy Cummins, 57, from Maylandsea, Essex, will begin their '7 Ultras in 7 Days' on Saturday, July 12.
They will begin their journey with a 50km walk from Lewknor to Wantage in Oxfordshire.
Another 50km will be completed on day two, from Wantage to Avebury, Wiltshire.
They will then fly to the Netherlands.
On Monday, July 14, Gynette and Lucy will walk 50km from Arnhem to Nijmegen and back.
The final four days of the challenge will see the pair complete the Nijmegen Marches, an iconic walking event, completing 50km each day.
It is the second year that the duo has taken on a week-long walking event – their first challenge saw them walk from Saltney to London.
Gynette said: 'My walking journey started way back in 2001, when I completed the Full Moon (26.2 miles) at The MoonWalk London.
'I'd actually always wanted to take on the London Marathon, but to be honest, I didn't want to run it.
'I happened to read an article in a health magazine about The MoonWalk and thought it sounded perfect.
'I mentioned it to my friend Clare, who I'd also recently discovered wanted to do the London Marathon.
'We signed up for The MoonWalk, and the rest, as they say, is history!
'I've done The MoonWalk London every single year since, and the atmosphere has always been absolutely fantastic.
'Another reason that I continue walking and raising funds for Walk the Walk is that my auntie and two of my sisters-in-law have all been successfully treated for breast cancer.
'I've also got to know many other people who've been affected by breast cancer in different ways – this really spurs me on.
'Having become a regular marathon walker – I've done around 66 now – I took the step up to Ultra Marathons, of which I've now done 22 plus last year's 7 Ultras in 7 days challenge.
'It was at one of those events – The London to Brighton 100km challenge in 2013, that I bumped into Lucy!
'Since then, we've walked many, many miles together at events.
'Lucy and I can talk for England and that's what we do from start to finish.
'We live a long way from each other – I'm in North Wales and she's in Essex – so, apart from any walking events we do together, we might only see each other socially a couple of times a year.'
Lucy added: 'I must admit that I never used to be a long-distance walker!
'In my early twenties I was diagnosed with the chronic fatigue syndrome, ME.
'My main symptoms were severe leg and back spasms - on a good day, I could just about manage a maximum of 20 minutes' exercise at a time.
'After my ME diagnosis, my fitness levels slowly improved, until in 2006, my friend Karina asked me if I fancied walking an overnight marathon, through London, wearing a bra.
'That was my first ever MoonWalk London.
'In 2013 I took on my first 'London to Brighton' challenge – that's when I first met my walking buddy Gynette!
'Since then, we've completed dozens of ultra-marathons together, including London to Brighton many times, the Nijmegen Marches and the famous Camino trail in Spain.
'In 2014, my family's world was rocked when my big sister Ruth, who was five years older than me, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
'For years before her diagnosis, I'd been raising money and awareness for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk and now this cruel disease had hit incredibly close to home.
'Ruth was given the all-clear following treatment, but then in 2016, secondary breast cancer was discovered in her liver.
'She went into a hospice and died on 25th August that year.
'Gynette was a tower of strength for me when Ruth was so poorly – we have an incredible friendship.
'We walk together brilliantly and chat constantly.
'Walking such a long way, my approach is simply to put one foot in front of the other, for quite a long time!
'Gynette and I always support and encourage each other all the way and I can't wait to raise even more money for the wonderful charity Walk the Walk.'
To sponsor Gynette and Lucy, visit: 7 Ultras, 7 Days, 2 Countries.
