TWO determined women have set the challenge of walking from Flintshire to London in aid of breast cancer.

Gynette Janney, 51, from Hawarden and Lucy Cummins, 56, from Maylandsea in Essex, are taking on the challenge of a lifetime, walking 260 miles from North Wales to London in just seven days.

The incredible duo are aiming to raise thousands of pounds for MoonWalk London organisers, breast cancer charity Walk the Walk.

Since they started supporting the charity, Gynette and Lucy have already raised in excess of £100,000 between them. Walk the Walk grants funds to organisations across the UK living with breast and other cancers.

The “7 Ultras in 7 Days” will see Gynette and Lucy leave Saltney in Flintshire, near Gynette’s home on Sunday, May 12 to walk to the capital.

They will cover at least 37 miles, every single day. The final leg of their unique challenge will see them take on the Full Moon (26.2 miles) at the iconic overnight fundraising event The MoonWalk London on Saturday, May 18.

Gynette and Lucy met each other for the first time at a long-distance walking event in 2013.

Lucy said: “Over the last two decades, walking has become such a huge part of my life. I can’t wait to take on my biggest challenge yet with my amazing walking friend Gynette Janney.

"Once again, we’ll be raising money for MoonWalk organisers, the wonderful breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, a cause very close to my heart, after I lost my big sister to the disease eight years ago.

"Gynette and I have an incredible friendship and I’m sure that this will help us - we walk together brilliantly and chat constantly. Walking such a long way is going to be a huge achievement, but my approach is simply going to be that I’ll put one foot in front of the other, for quite a long time!

"As a challenge, I feel it’s doable and if I can raise even more money for the wonderful charity Walk the Walk, it’ll be totally fabulous!”

Gynette adds: “I’m really excited about taking on this huge challenge and feeling very positive about it!

"We’ve both done other multi day walking events previously, but obviously this one is a bit of step up. I’ve learnt over the years about what I need to eat and drink to keep my body working each day at such high levels and for such long distances.

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"Being stubborn certainly helps too, when you have to be in the mindset of finishing one very long walk, then getting up the next morning and doing it again. Then again and again!” 

Here is the full schedule for the '7 Ultras Challenge'

  • Sunday 12th May – Saltney, North Wales to Market Drayton, Shropshire (37 Miles)
  • Monday 13th May – Market Drayton to Smethwick, West Midlands (37.6 miles)
  • Tuesday 14th May – Smethwick to Ufton, Warwickshire (37 miles)
  • Wednesday 15th May – Ufton to Towcester, Northamptonshire (37 miles)
  • Thursday 16th May – Towcester to Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire (37 miles)
  • Friday 17th May – Berkhamsted to Chiswick, London (37 miles)
  • Saturday 18th May – Chiswick to Clapham Common, London. Followed by Walk the Walk’s 5K Zoom Walk (11am). Finally, starting at 10.30pm, the Full Moon (26.2 miles) at The MoonWalk London, starting and finishing at Clapham Common.  (37 miles)