Baking banana bread. P.E with Joe Wicks. Virtual pub quizzes. We all turned our hand to something new throughout the pandemic. But for Hampshire resident Sarah Roberts-Penn, she set her sights on walking. And more walking. And walking some more.
“At the beginning of January I signed myself up to cover the length of Route 66 (2,278 miles) and had two years to complete it”, says Sarah. “I thought I could beat that so set myself the challenge of completing it by the end of the year.”
In true Sarah-style, she stomped over the virtual finish line before the end of September. She even found time to take part in our night-time fun run, Dash in the Dark, on 11 September.
Not content with her already remarkable efforts, Sarah signed herself up for more virtual challenges – the North Coast 500 (500 miles around the northern coast of Scotland) and the Romantic Road in Germany (268 miles) – which she completed by mid-December.
Seeing the team in action
Sarah’s support for us was brought home when she took part in the Eastleigh 10K last August. “As I was heading down the home straight, a participant collapsed and had to be taken by Air Ambulance to hospital”, says Sarah.
“It struck me what an amazing resource it really is. And, given how reliant they are on fundraising, I am so pleased I took on these challenges.”
Sarah’s 3,046 miles and 7 million steps covered on foot have seen her raise an amazing £840. And, with additional funding from her workplace, Arqiva, Sarah has raised over £1,000.
She adds: “I have a wonderful collection of medals from this year which will always remind me of the effort I put in. To have raised a good amount of money for this wonderful cause has been the icing on the cake.”
Want to embark on your own fundraising adventure? Find the perfect challenge or event for you.
