Day 12 - The Final Day!

Hey everyone, hope you’re all doing well. I can’t believe I’m talking about the last day of the ‘Walk for Pia’! This blog has been such an enjoyable way of reliving those incredible 12 days. Looking back at the final day fills me with so many different emotions – the biggest being immense pride and gratitude.

The day started like all the others... blister clinic. I went straight to Donna's room for the last time, and it hit me in a weird way – I was actually going to miss it! There’s something about getting my feet taped up and having my blisters sorted every day that I somehow ended up enjoying because of how funny it was. I guess it's one of those “you had to be there” moments!

We all met to head downstairs to the hotel lobby, and as I left my room, the core walkers were all stood looking down at reception from a few floors above. When I joined them, I was totally blown away by how many people were there, cheering us on, clapping and getting ready to walk. It was absolutely surreal, and I realised all over again how incredibly lucky we are to have such a strong support system.

So many people!

Downstairs, we shared hugs with everyone – so many of our family, which included some of our youngest walkers like Jack, Ella and Alfred and Henry, my mum’s nephew, who had flown in from Jersey to join us, and lots of friends too. Plus, my best friend from primary school, who I hadn’t seen in years and now lives in the Lake District, came running over. Seeing her and her family was such a beautiful surprise. We were also joined by Welsh royalty - Derek Brockway, who we lost at one point during the walk!

Blast from the past!

Before we set off for our final day of walking, Tom did the classic and blasted our group anthem from his car. Everyone got into a circle and watched the core walkers singing and dancing to our song. Having that final group dance was emotional – a perfect way to show just how close and bonded we had become. It really set the tone for the day.

Big Walk for Pia sing-song!

Of course, the one day we didn’t have bright sunshine was the final one! It rained most of the day – typical, right? A big sign we were in Wales! But we didn’t care; we were just so excited knowing we only had 10 miles to go before finishing.

One of the things that helped me get through the day was seeing my friends from school (Jen, Sash and Alex). They were such a breath of fresh air and kept me laughing throughout. They also physically helped me! At one point, we had to walk down a long staircase, and my groin was so sore that I couldn’t do it. Jenny and Sasha grabbed an arm each and basically carried me down. Huge thanks to them for that!

The best !

When we got to Cardiff Bay, we had to wait for about 20 minutes for a bridge to come down, which was a little frustrating because we were all cold and just wanted to keep going! But it was fun too – there were so many of us, and  waiting around gave me the opportunity to chat to everyone.

Lovely weather!

Once we crossed the bridge, we had a beautiful walk along the Barry coastline. We were heading towards ‘The Captain’s Wife,’ a pub that mum and dad used to visit when they were teenagers, so it’s really special to our family. I walked most of the coastline with Loz, who always knows how to cheer me up and keep me going.

When we reached the pub, we were joined by Uncle Trev and Auntie Dyfri, who are 80 years old and two of our most favourite people. Auntie Dyfri is basically my dad’s mum, so they mean the world to us. As soon as we saw them, Emilia and I burst into tears, and not long after, they were crying too. It was one of those moments you never forget – their cuddles truly do cure everything!

There were so many people at the pub, and it was hard to explain to them that we didn’t have time for a drink, it was more of a pit stop. We had to get to Barry Island by 2:00 for some media, so dad spent most of his time gathering everyone back to the front after a quick 10-minute break to rest our legs. That was a bit stressful – it’s hard to stop the Welsh from drinking!

As we set off again, we only had about 3 miles to go, but I was really struggling. I think at that point, it was more emotional than physical – the impact of what we were doing started hitting me, and it was hard to keep walking. But then Alex, my best friend, came to my rescue. She gave me one of her headphones, and we spent the next hour blasting our favourite songs and singing at the top of our lungs. It was the perfect distraction and really helped me push through.

With about half a mile to go, we all stopped at the big ASDA in Barry for a toilet stop. Having a wild wee in a busy Welsh town would not have gone down well! All core walkers were sent to the front of the group so we could finish it together.

The last 30 minutes of that walk was an emotional blur. Emilia, dad, and I linked arms the whole way to the finish, and people were cheering us on and handing us money as we walked. It was overwhelming, especially with BBC and ITV cameras following us! When we reached Marco’s Café, there was a huge finish line made of purple and white balloons, posters everywhere, and even more friends and family cheering us on.

Crossing the finish line was one of the most unbelievable feelings I’ve ever had. It’s hard to describe. We were all elated and proud of what we had accomplished, but it was also incredibly emotional because we had walked 233 miles for mum. The next 30 minutes was spent hugging everyone, crying, laughing, and reminiscing about the past 12 days. Finishing at Marco’s Café, where mum used to work, felt incredibly meaningful, and the backdrop of where mum grew up made it feel like she was with us in spirit. But of course, she wasn’t physically there, and her absence felt stronger than ever at that moment. We did it all for her, and I just hope she was watching, knowing how much love there was for her that day.

Crossing the line!

Hugs all round!

After the emotional chaos of the finish, Emilia, dad, and I were whisked away for interviews with BBC and ITV. Saying that still feels crazy! Then we had a few photos taken, which I treasure now. After all the media stuff, we went straight over to get some prosecco and pizza – emphasis on the prosecco! Huge thanks to Marco for decorating the café so beautifully and for providing so much food and drink for all of us. And let’s not forget the amazing DJ who played some feel-good tunes for us.

The main man himself - Marco!

Dad doing an interview for ITV!

We sat with our Welsh family, and it felt so comforting to have Auntie Dyfri in one hand and a glass of prosecco in the other! Then, out of nowhere, Tom grabbed the mic and started belting out ‘Sweet Caroline.’ Despite walking 233 miles, we all got to our feet and had a boogie. That moment was pure relief and joy.

Rehydrating in the best way!

Dancing away!

One of the most special moments was meeting mum’s best school friend, Helen. She was so lovely, chatting to us about mum in her teenage years. She brought loads of photos of the two of them, and looking at those pictures of mum, as beautiful and radiant as ever, was incredibly emotional and brought us closer to her.

After a couple of hours, it was time to go. But dad had one last surprise for us. Instead of getting a taxi to the hotel, he organised Dave’s Coaches to take us – for anyone who’s a fan of Gavin & Stacey, you’ll know the significance of that! It was such a fun, unexpected moment.

Once we arrived at the hotel, we all got showered and ready. Dad, Emilia, and I were ready first, so we went straight to the bar and found Henry. We ended up drinking with him for an hour, which meant we were a bit tipsy when it was time for dinner! The dinner was just for family and close friends, and we ended up taking up two long tables at a lovely restaurant in Penarth. We were all exhausted but so high on adrenaline and joy.

The best part of the evening was an awards ceremony that Uncle Kev had planned. Before the walk, he’d ordered personalised trophies for awards like ‘foulest mouth,’ ‘worst blisters,’ ‘MVP,’ and ‘best wild wee.’ We spent 30 minutes receiving our trophies, and it was one of the most special and thoughtful things Kev could have done to end the walk. Of course, he awarded my dad with ‘Superhero,’ and it was a really emotional moment for all of us – he truly is our hero. He planned it all, making sure every detail was sorted and, throughout the walk, he kept everyone in such high spirits despite being in pain himself. He did this for his wife and soulmate and we were all in awe of him because of his strength, we still are now. I have a video of the ceremony, but it’s something I want to keep private – just for the family.

My hero!

And just like that, the walk was over.

As I sit here reflecting on the whole experience, I can't help but think how much closer it brought me to my beautiful mum. Every step, every tear, every laugh – it felt like she was right there with me. Her memory and spirit were alive in every moment, and I couldn’t have completed this walk without her guiding me. It’s hard to explain the profound connection I felt to her during the walk, but it’s something I’ll carry with me forever. My mum will forever be my favourite person in the world, and raising over £160,000 in her name just shows how many people felt the same. She was and remains to be my beacon of hope and I am so proud of all of us for doing something so profound to honour her. She definitely would have thought we were crazy, but she was and still is worth every step.

And now, onto our next challenge, ‘Pubs for Pia’! I cannot wait to start fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK again and continue doing something meaningful in mum’s memory. Please keep up to date on all our Walk for Pia socials or on the website: www.walkforpia.co.uk.

Thank you so much for reading this post and following along with the entire blog. Sharing this experience with so many people has been such a privilege, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reminiscing as much as I have!

See you at Pubs for Pia!

With love,

Rhiannon