Rugby legend Gareth joins hundreds on the Big Walk
HUNDREDS of people took part in the longest and most challenging group charity walk in Wales last weekend.
The Big Walk for Prostate Cymru took place on Saturday and saw more than 300 participants make their way on foot from the Principality Stadium in Cardiff to Kenfig Hill RFC near Bridgend in around nine hours.
Surprise celebrity guests start the walk each year and on Saturday it was the turn of another Welsh rugby legend, for- mer Wales and Lions scrum-half Gareth Edwards.
The Big Walk was launched in 2014 to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cymru. In its inaugural year, 55 keen walkers took on the challenge.
In 2015, the number of participants more than trebled to 185, and 2016 saw the biggest walk yet with an impressive 286 people taking part in the event. Saturday’s event set another new record, with 352 registered participants.
Last year the event raised almost £50,000 for Prostate Cymru, and that figure is expected to be smashed once all the money is counted.
The walk is not a race, but a team event, where all participants receive full support to make sure they reach the finish line.
At the beginning of The Big Walk 2017 on Saturday 352 walkers took a selfie with the hashtag #SaveTheMalesInWales.
A spokesman for Prostate Cymru said: “We’ve had great support for the campaign so far from our rugby ambassadors, Glamorgan Cricket Club and Scarlets captain Ken Owens, to name a few.
“The #SaveTheMalesIn- Wales campaign aims to raise awareness of prostate issues such as benign prostate disease and prostate cancer in Welsh men and encourage men to be more proactive regarding discussion of their prostate health when they visit their doctor.”