Land's End to John O'Groats Virtual Walk

Aim

I am raising money for a charitable cause that is very important to me so please donate and help me reach my target

TL:DR (Too long, didn't read) 

I got diagnosed & treated for head & neck cancer, I've had treatment but don't know yet if it was successful. I'm dragging my sorry carcass on a virtual walk from Land's End to John O'Groats, raising money for Military Vs Cancer. I started on New Year's Day & aim to complete the challenge by New Year's Eve. 

Read on if you want to know more...

INTRO

I am raising money for a charitable cause that supports serving & ex-military personnel & their families who are dealing with the devastating effect of cancer. Please donate & help me reach my target in aid of Military Vs Cancer. Anything you can contribute towards helping me achieve my target will be massively appreciated. 

WHAT

I was diagnosed with head & neck cancer in both sides of my throat in July 2025. Having previously had testicular cancer in 2017 I had hoped my encounter with this disease was done & dusted, but this wasn't to be. 

I had felt generally unwell for some time, but it wasn't until a large lump appeared on the side of my neck on the afternoon of my 50th birthday on 06 May 2025 that things started to be taken seriously. 

A series of tests, scans, biopsies & appointments came to a head on 03 July 2025 when I was given my diagnosis. 5 days later my tonsils were removed in the hunt for the primary cancer. It wasn't there. On 01 August 2025 I had 3 wisdom teeth extracted as any future dentistry work is going to be problematic. 

10 days later I started a brutal treatment plan involving chemotherapy & daily radiotherapy. I had moved in with my parents to care for me during all this, which left me with physical limitations & changes to my body, plus the inevitable mental challenges this awful disease can scar anyone with. 

At the time of writing in February 2026, due to post-treatment complications I am yet to discover if the cancer has been successfully treated. 

WHY

During my treatment I stumbled upon a charity initiative being undertaken by Military Vs Cancer. This was a Field Gun pull from John O'Groats to Land's End. This inspiring feat of endurance & perseverance was a motivator for me when I was at my absolute lowest physically & mentally. 

People were digging out to assist people like me, although at that time I had personally had no contact with Military Vs Cancer. Personnel from across the Armed Forces, veterans & members of the public were supporting  this challenge with the physical pulling of the Field Gun, or giving up their time to drive support vehicles, provide sponsorship or delivering refreshments etc etc. 

HOW

During my post-treatment recovery, I've faced some challenges. Getting enough nutrition, changes to my mouth & throat plus chronic fatigue to name just a few examples. 

In the back of my mind though was that Field Gun pull. So, I came up with the idea of doing the return journey; from Land's End to John O'Groats. Now, I'm not physically capable of pulling a Field Gun, but I am capable of walking (despite a serious leg break sustained in the Falkland Islands in 2017 that has left me in permanent pain & some other limitations). 

I signed up to a 'Virtual Challenge' of recreating the distance from Land's End to John O'Groats (& not the shortest distance either I've now realised!) promising myself I'd take a few steps every day to aid my physical recovery. I made a contract with myself to complete the distance of 1084 miles (1765 km) by New Years Eve 2026. I took those first steps on the virtual route on New Year's Day. 

WHEN

By the end of January I hadn't skipped a day despite some bad days health-wise, particularly the challenges of fatigue. As I upped my hours back at work to full-time, I found my daily battery nearly drained. I had started to get demotivated & had an honest conversation with myself whether I would give up.

I decided to approach Military Vs Cancer, the charity responsible for that Field Gun pull last year to see if this was the kind of individual challenge they would support. I was initially reluctant, due to having a poor experience with some of the more well-known "big" Service charities last year during my treatment. 

However, not only were David & Shelley of Military Vs Cancer very supportive, they also communicated with me more quickly than the laborious processes I had encountered with other organisations. 

So, here we are. Whilst I am already 6 weeks into the challenge, I'm no longer doing it for myself. These 6 weeks have allowed me to prove to myself I could keep plodding along. I don't know whether it is within my capabilities, but by opening it up to fundraise for others dealing with cancer I've now got that added motivation to complete it & not let others down. 

Military Vs Cancer have agreed to assist me with some 'fitness tech' that will enable me to track progress & importantly monitor my body for things like recovery, sleep quality & cardiovascular heath - all important factors as I continue to recover from the treatment I underwent. 

The walk so far has been mainly indoors on a treadmill, due to the inclement weather plus the need to protect my 'dodgy' leg. However, I hope to get outdoors more as Spring comes, with an aspiration to actually get to some of the places I am approaching on the virtual tracker on the way up the country if possible. 

WHO

Whilst I'm currently walking on my own, I'd love for you to support me & Military Vs Cancer by donating, but also if you fancied meeting up for a walk sometime this year. I'd be glad of the company. 

One foot in front of the other...

Thank you.

Greg

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made