Sky Sports presenter Stelling taking on bigger and better walking challenge for men’s health charity
Intrepid television presenter Jeff Stelling laced up his walking boots once more as his latest unbelievable walking challenge for Prostate Cancer UK kicked off its thirteenth day at Harrogate Town FC.
Teaming up with the leading men’s health organisation, the long-standing Soccer Saturday host is aiming to raise £500,000 on his March for Men, 15 walking marathons in 15 days at the start of June, from Exeter City FC to Newcastle United FC.
And on the thirteenth day, Wednesday (14 June 2017) the next steps of the 2017 challenge saw the 62-year-old leave Harrogate en route to Bedale Town via Ripon City. The hottest day of the March so far was entirely spent in Yorkshire. The group of walkers were given a pep talk at the start by Professor Norman Maitland, Director of the Cancer Research Unit at the University of York.
Stelling was joined on the day by former England international footballer Danny Mills who has close friends affected by the disease. Also on the march was Preston North End Manager Simon Grayson who lost a good friend to prostate cancer and also recently completed Prostate Cancer UK’s Football to Amsterdam cycle challenge. Kevin Webber and Lloyd Pinder, both men with incurable prostate cancer, also matched them stride for stride.
Fresh from raising £420,000 after walking 10 marathons in 10 days from his beloved Hartlepool United to Wembley last year, Stelling, 62, has upped the ante this time round with an even bigger challenge for the leading men’s health charity.
Starting in Devon on Friday 2 June, Jeff’s March for Men – prostatecanceruk.org/jeffsmarch – will see the Sky stalwart walk 400 miles from the South West to the North East with the symmetrical stroll starting at St James Park, home of the Grecians, and ending at the Magpies’ St James’ Park a fortnight later.
Jeff’s journey will see him visit more than 40 football clubs, heading up the west of England via Bristol and Stoke and through the northern footballing hotbeds of Merseyside and Manchester, before cutting across the country and ending at the home of Championship high flyers Newcastle. Of course, his boyhood club, Hartlepool United will be en route and he will also start the final day at Durham County Cricket Club.
The mega event is part of Prostate Cancer UK’s wider walking programme, March for Men, which includes a trio of Local Walks across Father’s Day weekend, in London on June 17th and Leeds and Glasgow 24 hours later. The charity will also be encouraging supporters to hold their own marches to try and raise £1 million through walking in 2017.
Over 180 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the area and the money raised will have a huge impact on the lives of those affected by the disease and will help bring us one step closer to stopping prostate cancer being a killer.
Stelling said: I’m grateful to the people of Bedale, Ripon and Harrogate who came out to support me at the start of my March for Men as we raise vital awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer UK.
Prostate Cancer kills one man every hour in the UK, and I just decided I couldn’t sit on my backside and do nothing about it. I can put one foot in front of the next and hopefully raise awareness and raise funds to help men beat this diabolical disease.
This year’s route gives us an opportunity to go to parts of the country that we’ve not been to before and to spread the word to people who maybe didn’t hear that message as loudly last time round. We are heading north relentlessly and ending in St James’ Park, Newcastle one of the great football grounds, where I know we will get a fantastic welcome from all Geordies.
Prostate Cancer UK is the Official Charity Partner of The English Football League (EFL) and 22 clubs will be represented along the route, through the heartlands of England.
Stelling will also stop off at eight Premier League clubs as well as 12 Non-League sides with the final day on Friday 16 June kicking off at the Emirates Riverside, home of Durham County Cricket club.
Prostate Cancer UK Chief Executive Angela Culhane, who completed the opening leg and will be walking more than 75 miles across three days of this year’s march, said: After his heroic efforts last year, which raised a huge amount of awareness not to mention vital funds in the fight against this deadly disease, I’m proud and delighted Jeff Stelling is continuing on his second March for Men for Prostate Cancer UK.
After his ‘unbelievable’ walk to Wembley last year, this time round we will be visiting different areas of the country and some legendary football clubs as Jeff continues to spread the word – and of course he will be bringing some big names along. The fact our wonderful walkers are able to stroll side by side with household names from sport, show business and politics establishes this as a charity walk like no other. We look forward to meeting more inspirational people along the way.
Ignoring prostate cancer will not beat it. But Jeff’s epic efforts have helped wake men up to the need to take action. Thanks to the money raised to date, we can fund more ground-breaking research to fight back against the disease. It will also help us provide dedicated support and information to men and their families and make prostate cancer a disease the next generation of men need not fear.
To support Jeff, and find out more about his challenge, visit prostatecanceruk.org/jeffsmarch
