Mother and daughter duo take on 22-mile walk to raise money for disability sports group

Jacqui Parker, 66, and her 49-year-old daughter, Emma Owen, will be walking from Wellington in Telford all the way to a sports centre in Stafford, to raise money for a very special sports club.

Special Olympics Stafford, which provides all year-round sporting opportunities for people with disabilities, has been running for over 20 years and is supported by a team of volunteer coaches.

On Saturday, the group will be meeting for their last training session of 2023 before heading out for a Christmas meal, and Jacqui and Emma are determined to be there for it.

To make the journey, they will be leaving Jacqui's Wellington home at 4am and walking the 22-mile journey to the Beacon Sports & Fitness Centre in Stafford - aiming to get there in time for lunch.

"I'm trying not to think about it!" Jacqui said. "My daughter does all the walking, she's an avid walker - I am not! I'm just going to do it and hopefully get to the other end."

Inspiration for the adventure struck the 66-year-old when she marshalled at the organisation's Sportshall Competition in November.

She said: "Seeing all those athletes and the looks on their faces and how much they loved being there, really made me want to do something. It's run entirely by volunteers and they do such a wonderful job. I just wanted to help out.

"I thought the walk would be a really good idea - a bit later I wondered what I'd got myself in for."

Head coach, and Jacqui's brother, Clive Gibson thought his sister had lost her mind.

He said: "My first thought was what a silly person! Not just the distance but at this time of the year too! But I'm really proud of her and so appreciative. Any money that's raised for us will go such a long way."

Donations are open online at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/SpecialOlympicsStafford1