Welshgrandad's fundraising journey from Suffolk to Wales
John Parry, aged 78, is taking on an amazing challenge of walking over 460 miles from Lowestoft in Suffolk to St Davids in Wales. All to raise money for charities who support people with cancer.
In May 2023, John was in a serious accident, which ultimately led to him being diagnosed with bladder cancer.
“I fell off a ladder onto a brick patio and lost consciousness. I was taken to the emergency department to a hospital in Colchester as my injuries were serious.
“While in hospital recovering from my accident, it was discovered that I had complications with my prostate,” says John. “I had an operation and doctors discovered that I had bladder cancer.”
Further tests revealed that John had cancer in his right kidney, and there were markers found in his blood.
“The first thing I could think of was, ‘how long have I got?’ And what have I got to do to make sure everything is fine for my wife if anything happens to me?’"
John, who goes by WelshGranded on social media, shared his story on TikTok.
What started as a simple video following a suggestion from his granddaughter led to John gaining over 30,000 followers.
“After telling people my story, many people resonated with it. I wanted to support all those with cancer. I felt like what I was doing wasn’t enough and was determined to find a way of doing more.
“So, I decided that I wanted to help raise funds to support various charities.”
That’s when John made the decision to walk more than 460 miles from Lowestoft, Suffolk to St Davids, Wales, all while having ongoing cancer treatment.
“Many people do a coast-to-coast path in Cumbria, but I wanted to do something different,” says John. “I chose this route because it is the most easternly part of England to the most westerly part of Wales.”
From unusually hot weather to blocked walkways and styles, John has faced some challenges since starting in June. However, he hasn’t let these setbacks stop him.
“You have to take it one day at a time,” says John. “When it’s 30˚C degrees and you see a long row ahead of you and you’ve already done 10 to 15 miles of walking – all you can do is put one foot in front of the other.”
Using his social media platform, John has invited others to join him on his walk.
“I don’t mind walking on my own, but it is much nicer walking with others,” says John. “Those who have joined me have been incredibly supportive. Their friendship, support and companionship has been outstanding.”
John is aiming to raise £50,000, of which will be equally split between 4 charities who have supported him and his family:
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- Cancer Research UK
- Farleigh Hospice Essex
- St Davids Hospice Care.
Although his challenge only started in June 2026, and he has already raised over £35,000.
“Don’t give up,” says John. “That’s the answer.”
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