Jesse Walklin (pictured above with his mum) has taken on the 49km Matterhorn Sky ultra-marathon with his friend Alex Wilcockson (pictured below with Jesse, left) after losing his mum, Caroline Walklin, at the age of 61, in July last year. Running, climbing and scrabbling, the pair completed the torturous mountain trail, which included multiple climbs and a total elevation of 3,600 metres, in an impressive 10 hours and nine minutes.
The Matterhorn Sky is the third intrepid fundraising challenge Jesse has set himself, inspired by his mum. Last year he ran the London Marathon, raising £25,000, dressed in a giant pink brain suit (pictured above, far right), and in January this year he completed the Polar Night Half Marathon in Tromso, Norway, bringing his total raised to £33,000.
After fainting and experiencing episodes of sickness, which doctors originally thought was long COVID, Caroline was diagnosed with a grade 3 oligodendroglioma in June 2022. She underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but nothing could stop the tumour’s progression and she died two years after her diagnosis.
Jesse said: “All the way through her treatment, Mum only cared about how it affected everyone else. Knowing there’s no cure is a hard reality and was tough for us all to accept, especially when there are so many medicines and treatments for other cancers.”
Now Jesse is determined to create a legacy for Caroline to help make a difference for future brain tumour patients. He has set up Caroline’s There, which joins our family of Fundraising Groups, to help bring about better outcomes for brain tumour patients through more effective treatments and ultimately a cure.
We are very grateful for Jesse’s invaluable support and wish him all the best in his endeavours to create a fitting legacy for Caroline.
It’s not too late to make a donation. Sponsor Jesse via his JustGiving Page.
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