Knock, knock, who’s there?
Jo Brand, one of Britain’s best known comediennes. But there’s no punch line in this rambling tale. Rather, the 58-year-old is attempting a gruelling 150-mile coast-to-coast trek for Sport Relief. And it’s not going to be pleasant.
That’s no laughing matter…
Brand will brave sore feet and blisters during challenge, which she hopes to complete in seven days. Starting in Hull on 22 January, she will traverse the north of England walking an average of more than 20 miles each day before finishing in Liverpool on Thursday January 28.
Will it be easy?
"When I first started training for this challenge, I didn't realise I was not the national fitness icon I'd always believed myself to be. My body is a temple - it's big and it doesn't move!” she admitted. "The realisation is gradually dawning that I have to walk a very, very, very long way, with many days back-to- back using only my poor little legs to carry me, and that's a gruesome thought.”
Sounds painful…
With temperatures plummeting across the UK, Brand faces the prospect of snow and ice when she climbs up to 1,530ft while crossing the Pennines. She is expected to take 60,000 steps and burn around 6,000 calories each day during the challenge.
But it’s all for a good cause…
The former psychiatric nurse hopes to highlight the work done by Sport Relief around mental health issues in the UK and across the world's poorest communities. “The hope is that the walk will raise much-needed funds for people who really deserve it, which will keep me going,” she said. “And, if it doesn't, I will give Greg (my trainer) full permission to push me off the top of a massive hill.”
Is she the only famous comedian to brave the outdoors for charity?
Brand’s mission is the latest in a string of endurance tests carried out by celebrities for Sport Relief. David Walliams raised more than £1 million after swimming the length of the River Thames in 2011, while Eddie Izzard ran 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009. John Bishop and Davina McCall have also completed challenges for Sport Relief in recent years.
