Childhood friends from Bedford to take on 100km ultra challenge for beloved hospice

Three friends from Bedford will be lacing up their trainers and heading 100km upstream in a bid to raise vital funds for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice.

Janine Dosanjh, Katie Sharpe and Leanne Mallett are taking on the Thames Path Ultra Challenge in September to raise money for the hospice in Moggerhanger after being inspired by the expert and compassionate palliative care staff provided to Janine’s mum in 2008.

This will be the second time that Janine and Katie have stepped out for Sue Ryder having completed the 100km Jurassic Coast Challenge in 2022 raising more than £2,000. With Leanne now on board, the fantastic fundraising trio – who have been friends since junior school – hope to raise an incredible £5000.

“Katie and I had been talking about doing another challenge since our walk in Dorset last year. I remember one night I was standing cooking thinking about what we could do, when Katie text me saying, fancy this? Leanne is going to join too. It was details of the Thames Valley Ultra Challenge, and I didn’t hesitate to say yes,” said Janine.

“Everyone you speak to seems to know someone who has been cared for by the amazing team at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice so Katie, Leanne and I were sure that we wanted to continue supporting them.

“The staff there are just beautiful people, so very kind. The care they provided to my mum when she was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease was just wonderful,” Janine added.

The Thames Path Ultra Challenge starts from Putney Bridge in London and heads 100km upstream to Henley along the famous Towpath.

“We start at 9am on Saturday, September 9 and are hoping to complete the challenge in around 22 hours taking us to the early hours of Sunday morning. We are really looking forward to taking in some of the wonderful scenery.

“The training is going well so far; Katie and Leanne have been on regular walks together and I have been taking my practice on the treadmill out onto the paths around Bromham. I recently managed to complete five miles running.

“We are also planning three 20-mile summer walks as a trio in August so we can get used to the distance ahead of event day,” explained Janine.

The three friends have already raised £4,491 thanks to the support of local businesses, including Andrew’s Kitchen in Bromham who donated a dining voucher for six, which was raffled off at a recent coffee morning held by the trio.

To donate to Janine, Katie and Leanne’s fundraising page visit their JustGiving page.

If their story has inspired you to fundraise for Sue Ryder, you can explore the full range of treks at Sue Ryder's website.