Stephen Wheatley
Running 200 Miles to Save Lives
Fundraising for RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Story
The End (well very nearly)
Tomorrow I aim to complete the 100th and final 2 mile run to celebrate 200 years of RNLI whilst raising much needed funds for them.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your fantastic support which has kept me going through this challenge which, at times, has been considerably more difficult than I had ever imagined.
My final run will start outside the Westgate of the Tower of London c16.30 and end on the North East Corner of Waterloo Bridge c17.00.
It would be great to run with as many of you as possible and to take a refreshing ale with you at the after party at the Savoy Tap (or Coal Hole if it is closed) for some reason. Family and friends will be most welcome.
Until the next time...
Thank you!
Best wishes
Stephen
Final Run
I will be doing my 100th and final 2 mile run at 16.30 on 28th December 2024 by running from the Tower of London to Tower Lifeboat Station on the Embankment.
If you would like to join me for the run and perhaps a refreshing ale afterwards please let me know.
ATB Stephen
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I’m running to save lives.
That’s not an overstatement. I’ve been on the crew at RNLI Tower Lifeboat station for 19 years and in that time I’ve been on more than 400 taskings, a number of which have given people a second chance at life.
Not only do I volunteer for the RNLI, but I also have first hand experience of being rescued!
Whilst on a friend's boat on the way to France in 2010, we suffered a major mechanical issue that we couldn’t fix some 35 nautical miles from the Channel Islands. Our colleagues from RNLI Alderney were tasked by HMCG to come to our assistance. I know how it feels to be stranded out at sea and exactly how it feels to have that incredible relief flood over you when you see an orange boat arriving to take you to safety.
At 69 years of age my knees have definitely seen better days, but with each mile I run the one thought that keeps me going is that I’ve added a few more pounds to the total which will pay for the RNLI to rescue people from the Thames.
This year is the RNLI’s 200th anniversary so I’m going to run 200 miles to mark this, even if I end up crawling over the line at the end!
At the time of writing, I’ve completed 67 runs (134 miles) and been lucky enough to run with several crew mates, numerous friends and some of my family including my eldest son and two grandsons.
If you would like to join me on one of my runs please message me it would be great to have you along!
If you share my belief that nobody should drown and that everyone deserves a chance to be rescued if they’re in trouble in the water, please give a pound or two if you can to my JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/page/stephen-wheatley-1721734766708
Thank you for your generosity.
And finally, I would really appreciate any follows/likes/shares
X - @sewheatley
FB - https://www.facebook.com/stephenewheatley/