Three friends are preparing for a marathon-plus effort - in memory of a very special man.
Andrea Graveling and pals Hailey Muller and Rachael Bowman will trek the 28 miles from Sutton Bridge to Hunstanton this summer to raise cash for Prostate Cancer UK.
After losing her dad Trevor Graveling to the disease in February, Andrea was inspired to help others by taking on the Lincolnshire-to-Norfolk challenge between two very sentimental spots.
“My dad lived in Sutton Bridge all his life, so we’re going to set off from the house on Railway Lane where he lived for the last 45 years,” she explained.
“Last year we promised we would take my dad for fish and chips in Hunstanton. We never got there because either the weather was bad or my dad wasn’t well.
“We never made it, so we’ll go for him instead and have those chips in his honour.”
The trio will set off at 9.30am on July 13, planning two quick refreshment stops along the way, including one at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where they all work together on the West Raynham stroke ward.
“My two friends were close to my dad as well,” added Andrea, a healthcare assistant who now lives in Holbeach.
“I just mentioned to my friends about doing a sponsored walk in his memory for prostate cancer, the biggest killer in men.
“When I first mentioned it I don’t think they realised how far it was. I sent them the route and they said ‘you do realise it’s further than the London Marathon, don’t you?’ And I said ‘only by two miles’.”
Although the journey is expected to take around 10 hours, Andrea is convinced it will feel like anything but a slog.
“I think we’ll fly through it,” she said.
“Twenty-eight miles is a long way but my dad will be egging us on the whole way and be really proud we’re doing it in his memory.
“We’re just doing little walks out on our own at the minute, but we’re on our feet for 12-and-a-half hours a day at work, running up and down the ward. Hopefully, we’re not too far off a good practice anyway.
Funds were raised for Prostate Cancer UK and the St Barnabas’ Hospice from Trevor’s 79th birthday party at Sutton Bridge’s Curlew Centre in December, where guests made donations instead of bringing gifts.
But now the trio are keen to raise even more and a JustGiving page has been launched, with £200 already donated to the Prostate Cancer UK, the sole recipients of this walk.
“My target is £500,” said Andrea.
“They need this money for research. And the cancer drug my dad was on, abiraterone, costs £3,500 for a month’s supply.
“It would be really nice if we could raise a decent amount of money in his name and stop another family going through what we’ve been through.”
Friends and family are backing Andrea, fellow healthcare assistant Rachael and nurse Hailey - who both live in King’s Lynn - and many have pledged to be waiting in Hunstanton to cheer them across the finish line.
“Some people think we’re a little bit crazy but they’re all behind us rooting for us, hoping we’ll smash it,” Andrea added.
“Everybody loved my dad. He was one of the nicest, kindest, most loveable people you could meet in your life, so it’s nice to know there’ll be people there joining us in Hunstanton.
“I just hope the chips are cooked when we get there.”
You can donate by visiting the JustGiving page here.
Are you preparing a charity fundraiser? Email newsdesk@lynnnews.co.uk