Steyning Leisure Centre pair cover 2,000 miles in exercise challenge for St Barnabas House hospice

A 2,000-mile exercise challenge has raised around £700 for St Barnabas House hospice in memory of a Southwick woman who passed away aged 22.
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The coronavirus pandemic put paid to a planned charity football match in honour of Holly Edwards, following on from the successful event she arranged herself in 2018.

So Blake Harman, brother of Holly’s best friend Paige Harman, decided to organise his own fundraising challenge instead.

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Blake, 27, from Lancing, and his friend Beth Smith, 18, from Steyning, worked individually and together to cycle, run and walk a total of 2,000 miles throughout May, ending with a joint 40-mile cycle ride.

At the Sarcoma UK fundraising event at Southwick Football Club in July 2018, from left, Katy Morris, Paige Harman, Holly Edwards and Helen McMullen. Picture: Stephen GoodgerAt the Sarcoma UK fundraising event at Southwick Football Club in July 2018, from left, Katy Morris, Paige Harman, Holly Edwards and Helen McMullen. Picture: Stephen Goodger
At the Sarcoma UK fundraising event at Southwick Football Club in July 2018, from left, Katy Morris, Paige Harman, Holly Edwards and Helen McMullen. Picture: Stephen Goodger

Blake said: “Holly was a fighter and the most genuine person you could meet. She was such an inspirational person in my sister’s life. The heartbreak Paige went through when she lost her best friend had a massive effect on her.”

Holly, a former Steyning Grammar School student, was diagnosed with sarcoma in 2016. She was 19 and working at Tesco when she started getting headaches and discovered she had a lump on her leg.

She was initially told it was an ingrowing hair but eventually, after X-rays, doctors confirmed it was sarcoma, a rare, incurable cancer that affects the bone and soft tissue. The cancer spread to her spine and Holly, in the end, had tumour in every bone in her body.

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After two years of treatment, including an operation to replace the tibia bone in her left leg with a metal rod, Holly organised a family-friendly event at Southwick Football Club in July 2018 in aid of Sarcoma UK. It included a football match between Southwick and Worthing, bouncy castle, raffle, karaoke and disco.

Blake Harman and Beth Smith celebrating after completing their 2,000-mile challenge for St Barnabas House hospiceBlake Harman and Beth Smith celebrating after completing their 2,000-mile challenge for St Barnabas House hospice
Blake Harman and Beth Smith celebrating after completing their 2,000-mile challenge for St Barnabas House hospice

Keeping up the tradition Holly started, Paige, 22, had organised a charity event again this year but with Covid-19, it could not go ahead.

Determined to find another way to support his sister through her grief, Blake came up with his 2,000-mile challenge. He wanted to raise money for the hospice, which cared for Holly until she died there in May 2019.

He said: “The idea came to me late one night. I messaged my friend Beth and she agreed to join me. We were both half asleep and I don’t think we realised what a crazy distance we had committed to take on.

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“I’m not only doing this for my sister to help with her grieving but I’m doing this for Holly, raising money for the charity that help her through some of the hardest times in her life.”

Blake and Beth, who work together at Steyning Leisure Centre, had to cover around 66 miles each day, making the most of home exercise bikes when outdoor exercise was restricted during lockdown.

Blake said: “It’s the hardest challenge that Beth and I have taken on. We were both exhausted and ached so badly but we’re really happy to have completed the distance and finish early.”

Paige thanked Blake and Beth for their dedication and those who have donated to their fundraising page at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BlakeHarman

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Paige said: “I saw for myself how high the quality of care is at St Barnabas and I know Holly and her family appreciated everything the team did to help her through such a hard time.

“Holly was the biggest part of my life and losing her was heartbreaking. Before she passed away, she asked us to raise money for St Barnabas in her memory, so that’s exactly what my family and I will continue to do every year.”

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