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Odyssey is a wonderful little charity set up to support people with a terminal cancer diagnosis to live the life they have now, to celebrate and to challenge themselves.  

As you may know my wonderful sister, Ali Whillance lost her battle with this disease on February 25th 2014.  Her family and friends will miss her always, but we are also hugely grateful for the time she had with us and the joy and warmth she brought to all of us.  

Odyssey's idea of celebrating the life you have is very dear to my heart, and not just for people with cancer, I believe we could all do a bit more celebrating and a bit more challenging ourselves to live for the moment.

Cancer is an awful curse on our society and we need to fight it with everything we have.  For individuals on a very personal level it is obviously devastating to hear you have it, and I believe the approach that Odyssey takes not only helps people to get on with and enjoy the life they have, but it also offers very practical support in hugely difficult times for individuals and families.

How it works is that oncologists around the UK refer patients to Odyssey and they in turn offer the patient an opportunity to attend their course free of charge.  When I met with around 14 people undertaking a cycling challenge through Wales last summer, including my sister Ali, the inspirational stories they told me moved me very deeply. 

I am doing my 'Walk Around Wales at the Weekend' to raise money support Odyssey's wonderful work.  I set out from Chepstow at the end of 2012.  It was and is a personal challenge for me.  870 miles around the Welsh Coast and another 176 or so miles along the length of Offa's Dyke which for a lot of the way forms the border between England and Wales - so 1046 miles all together.

I absolutely love walking, I am happiest when I'm walking and I hope by walking all the way around Wales, I'll encourage other people to walk, too - for their health and wellbeing.  

I plan to complete the walk in the next 12 months - mostly at weekends.

When Ali rode her bike from Cardiff Castle to Caernarfon Castle the ride was a positive beacon in a year of dwindling hope.  For so many people who receive a terminal diagnosis, it can be terrifying and dreadful - they are given the diagnosis and then left to get on with it until such time as they need extra nursing support.  What Odyssey does turns that on it's head and emphasises the life patients still have and helps them make sure they enjoy as much of their time as possible.  I passionately want to support these fantastic people who are doing so much to help people enjoy life and prove to themselves they can do something they would never have thought they could. 

If you sponsor me, it'll help Odyssey offer more courses to more people dealing with cancer.  They will then challenge themselves to do something amazing - like the 225 mile bike ride from Cardiff Castle to Caernarvon Castle my sister Ali did in the summer.  Her group of 11 raised over £14,000.00 between them and Ali raised over £800.00 despite being a very late entrant. 

You can read more about Ali's trip here, by copying and pasting this link: http://www.justgiving.com/AliWhillance

I hope you will help support some amazing people to deal with this life changing challenge in a way that will inspire them and help others at the same time.

Thank you again.

Love,

Jane x