Formidable fundraiser raises more than £6,000 for cancer charities, with 250mile solo hike.
Ask Georgi Welch why she chose to hike for three weeks in filthy mud, rain and thunderstorms and her answer is humbling.
“I wanted the challenge to be a story of hope. I’d be trudging along in the pouring rain, look up and see that up ahead it was sunny, and bridging the two there was a rainbow. That seemed like a good metaphor. I haven’t had the easiest life. I lost Craig, my husband, to cancer, I’ve had cancer. I had life-saving surgery on my liver, and I still have health problems. But I wanted to do this, and I did.”
The aim of hiking the South West Coast Path was to raise funds and awareness for four charities that mean a great deal to Georgi: Radiotherapy UK, Prevent Breast Cancer, MOVE charity and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Supporting the cancer community
Georgi, 51, said: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and I am passionate about supporting the cancer community, raising awareness and using my voice and patient experience to make change.
“Craig was treated at The Royal Marsden Hospital which I will always be so grateful for, as without them he would not have had access to new pioneering treatment and would probably have died within months of diagnosis.”
After months of preparation, Georgi laced up her walking boots, pulled on a heavy backpack and began the 250mile hike from Minehead to Cape Cornwall in mid-May. Her eldest son came with her for the first 48 hours and later said he wasn’t expecting his mum to finish because it was so grueling.
Georgi said: “There were some long, tough days with some quite ‘interesting’ experiences: a massive thunderstorm in the first week, one detour that left me far too close to a sheer cliff edge, and one hotel run by scientologists who left a two-page poem on my pillow.
“Some days I hardly saw another person. But I was happy in my own little world, taking it all in. I took about 1,000 photos and they probably seemed the same to other people but I couldn’t get used to how beautiful it was.
Setting goals no matter what
“There was not a single day I didn’t want to get up and get going. The donations and the messages I was getting spurred me on.”
Crossing the finish line brought big emotions and an outpouring of support from Georgi’s supporters. Posting on Instagram with the end in sight, Georgi said: “I’ve done this for everyone with cancer.”
Now back to her day job, Georgi has had time to think about what the challenge really meant.
She concluded: “It was never about me. I just wanted people to see that whatever you are going through you can set yourself a goal – big or small – and achieve it.”
Sponsor Georgi here 250 Mile Solo SWCP Hike – GiveWheel
