James Lewis has raised more than £70,000 for St Giles Hospice and is nearing his £100,000 target.
People put themselves through all manner of exciting, tough and whacky challenges to support the work of local charities. James Lewis has managed to tick all three boxes by dribbling a football more than 2,000 miles from Marrakech to his hometown of Rugeley, meanwhile raising an incredible sum of money for St Giles Hospice.
So it is no wonder the football coach was given a hero’s welcome when he crossed the finish line at around 5pm on Saturday 25 July, 85 days after he set off from Morocco.
Lichfield Radio host Jessica Davanzo was among the hundreds of supporters who cheered James, 26, through the final stretch, and described the atmosphere as “awesome, especially at The Chase pub, where crowds were waiting and cheering when James made it back home after his epic challenge”.
James later told her he was “blown away by the support on that final day”. This “absolutely blew my mind and I was fighting tears the whole time”.
Earlier that Saturday, he made a poignant stop at St Giles Hospice in Whittington – a particularly moving moment given his father David was cared for at the hospice when James was just 11 years old.
Having set off from Marrakech on 1 May, James Lewis dribbled a football through Morocco, the entire length of Spain and the full length of France before crossing the Channel and making his way through England. He survived wild dogs, wild boars, a rock fall and melted a pair of shoes in 40 degree heat – all while carrying a 33-pound pack. He went through seven footballs.
James slept by roadsides and in churches. Strangers stopped to give him food and water. Couples in France opened their homes to him each night, giving him a bed, a hot meal and clean clothes so he could continue the next morning. Shoe brand HOKA gifted him a pair of trainers for the final leg. And still he kept going.
On 25 July, donations were flooding in as supporters watched him cross the finish line. As we go to print, he has raised more than £70,000 for St Giles Hospice and is nearing his £100,000 target. To put that into context, £720 could help fund 24 hours of care for a patient at the end of their life, meaning James’s efforts have helped fund the equivalent of around 100 days of care for patients at their most vulnerable.
It is worth noting too that this is not James’ first fundraising challenge for St Giles – in 2024, he ran the equivalent of more than three marathons in 24 hours while blindfolded – and is unlikely to be his last.
Elinor Eustace, Chief Executive of St Giles Hospice, said “we have watched James every single day since he set off from Marrakech, and to see him cross that finish line on Saturday was an incredibly emotional moment”.
He is a true hero and an inspiration to everyone at St Giles and beyond. Every pound he raises will make a real and tangible difference to the patients and families we care for across Staffordshire, North Birmingham and surrounding areas. We are so incredibly proud of him.
James also told the Echo that while “there was a time when I didn’t want to carry on” due to the immense struggle, “I just had to remember why I was doing it and really hone in” on the challenge. As the famous saying goes, “he who has a why to live can bear almost any how”.
To look back on James’s journey and donate, go to James’ fundraiser here. You can also follow @jameslewisruns on TikTok and Instagram or James Lewis on Facebook.