Chrissie Wellington is Back!
Chrissie Wellington will join Mike and Rebecca Tomlinson on an eight-day challenge for the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.
For 2012, four-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington is taking on a new challenge, putting her power behind the Jane Tomlinson Appeal as part of their 10th anniversary.
Setting off on April 15, Chrissie will join Mike and Rebecca Tomlinson as they set off on an eight-day challenge that will eclipse any the appeal has set since Jane’s death in 2007.
Not satisfied with one marathon, the team will take part in both the Paris and London marathons with six days of cycling thrown in between for good measure.
With the 2012 London Marathon marking the 10th anniversary of Jane Tomlinson running the marathon for the first time, the Tomlinson family have chosen to follow in Jane’s endurance challenge footsteps this year. Jane defied the odds and public perception of cancer taking an array of serious endrurance events in order to raise over £1.85 million for charity. As the first terminally ill breast cancer patient to complete the London Marathon, Jane confronted what to many seemed impossible.
Having completed the Paris Marathon, Chrissie will join Mike, Rebecca and the team as they cycle back to the charity’s home turf of Yorkshire as they cross the channel from Zeebrugge to Hull before setting off on a two-day tour of Yorkshire on route to the capital.
Mike Tomlinson said: “It’s an enormous pleasure for us as a family to welcome Chrissie to the 10th anniversary challenge. The enthusiasm and attitude Chrissie shows not only in competing but in other aspects of her life strongly resemble Jane’s philosophies. It says much about her that despite an enormously busy schedule she’s happy to take on 2 marathons and 6 days of cycling, I just hope she’s not expecting me to keep up!”
Having been a patron of the Jane Tomlinson Appeal since 2010, Chrissie has helped raise significant sums of money for the Appeal and has recently hosted Run with Chrissie events in both Leeds and London in aid of the Appeal.
“I am so incredibly honoured to be a Patron of Jane’s Appeal and this amazing challenge is a once in a lifetime opportunity to combine my masochistic love for endurance challenges with the ability to raise awareness and funds for an amazing and incredibly worthwhile cause. I can’t think of anything better! And the other challenge team members can rest assured, I won’t be trying to set new personal best times. I want to complete and not compete!”
Chrissie and the Appeal will be opening the doors to a member of the public to bid to join them each day of the cycle ride and have their chance to ride with a World Champion. All monies bid will be donated to the Appeal in a silent auction that will open on Friday 9 March. For more information please visit www.janetomlinsonappeal.com
Matt Baird
Editor of Cycling Plus magazine 
