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bbc radio 2 Presenter sarah cox He has said that he previously received words of encouragement from Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson children in need challenge.
Cox, who presents Radio 2’s teatime show on weekdays, will soon take over the equivalent of five marathon Walked 135 miles across four counties in five days to raise money for needy children.
Ahead of the challenge in November, Cox told the PA news agency that the film star, known for the Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji and The Smashing Machine, shared some words of support.
She said: “He was very nice. I asked him if he’d be willing to come over and piggyback me at some point. He insisted he was too busy, before even letting him know what the date of the challenge was.
“But he said, just think about how you would feel if you didn’t do it, if you didn’t put extra pressure on yourself, which was helpful.
“That thing will keep ringing in my ears. There’s no way I can’t get it done. I have to, I have to get it done.”
Carrying a Pudsey Bear backpack, Sarah’s Great Northern Marathon Challenge will see the presenter run, walk and walk across the extensive moorland and rolling hills of Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, starting in Kielder Forest on November 10 and finishing in Pudsey, Leeds on November 14.
This will be Radio 2’s longest challenge to date in terms of duration, with Cox’s fellow presenters offering their support and inspiration during his show, as well as sharing messages from listeners and guests.
Speaking about the decision to take part in the challenge, Cox said: “The problem is, when you’re asked to do the Children in Need challenge, because it’s a huge privilege associated with some extreme physical exertion, you can’t say no to it because why would you say no?
“You are being given the opportunity to do a huge challenge that will hopefully change the lives of children.
“The way I’m doing it is, mentally, I’m doing a lot of five miles because at the end of five or six miles, that’s when someone will put some ice on my knee and hopefully give me a chocolate or something and then I’m off to the next one.”
Cox also got some advice from Radio 2 presenter Paddy McGuinness, who last year completed a cycling challenge and raised £10.3 million for charity.
She said: “The build-up is really quite hard and Paddy was good. He used to say, ‘Look, turn off all the noise. Turn off all the noise, and just get training’, which was helpful.
“The challenge has completely taken over my life, training and preparation.
“It’s all hard work, but it’s all for a really good cause.
“You don’t really realize that there are hundreds of charities across the UK being supported by Children in Need and you don’t really realize the amazing work they do until you need them yourself and, God forbid, you get a sudden diagnosis, or your child starts to struggle.
“So I think it’s a brilliant thing with Children in Need. It highlights all these charities that, day in and day out, they continue to support children and their families.
“I think it’s extremely important to shout about these charities that are run by amazing people who dedicate their lives to helping children. That’s the magic of Children in Need.”
Listeners can listen to BBC Radio 2 from 10-14 November as Cox takes part in the Great Northern Marathon Challenge for BBC Children in Need.
Please visit bbc.co.uk/sara for information on how to make a text or online donation to support Sara’s Challenge.