Fundraising for Carolyn

Rob / 27.06.2002

Last night’s lecture by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, in aid of the Carolyn Jones Trust, was a sell-out success, and is just one of the on-going fund raising events being organised to help Carolyn and her parents.

The lecture on his ‘lifetime of adventure’ was a sell out (and a few extra people who turned up on the door were squeezed in too), and as always he put on an entertaining and thought provoking performance. He spoke about his expeditions and how he came into adventure racing, starting with the Eco-Challenge as a training event to keep fit! He’s a regular competitor now and is planning to go the Southern Traverse again this year.

He’s also very much in demand as a speaker and like everyone concerned on the night gave his time freely to help the fund. The show raised over £3000 with every penny going to the Trust thanks to Sir Ranulph, the Imperial College School of Medicine, who provided the venue, and to Runner’s World Magazine who started and administer the fund. It’s managed by the Editor Steven Seaton, Sir Ranulph’s regular team mate.

It’s perhaps appropriate that the lecture should take place in the same week Discovery Channel are showing their film of last year’s World Championships in Switzerland, where Carolyn was so badly injured after being trapped underwater in a canyoning accident. In their latest update on her condition her parents Morgan and Veronica said, “The sight of Carolyn\'s face was a reminder of how much she was enjoying herself immediately prior to the accident.” Even after an incredibly tough overnight trekking stage she was excited and chatty before abseiling into the Via Mala where the accident took place.

She very nearly died at the scene, was in a coma for a long period and is now in hospital in Edinburgh. Her insurers refused to pay any of the costs and much of the money raised so far, from the lecture, contributions, and collections at races, has gone to meet bills for the helicopter rescue, her time in hospital in Switzerland and repatriation. She is going to need long term care too and continued support from the AR community.

The update on her condition continues: “There are still problems with her weight and she remains worryingly light and so she is to have another small operation this week to insert a tube to enable her to be fed more easily. It is hoped that this will help her to put on weight. Carolyn has very much withdrawn into herself and is very depressed and has not made progress in the last few months. She has stopped speaking to us although she will write short messages but she does not normally initiate any sort of conversation nor does she move herself. She enjoys visitors but displays little emotion.”

Other recent fundraising events to help towards the cost of her long term care have included the donation of a crystal bowl which was auctioned off at Adrenalin Rush, and an impressive effort by the ‘Slipstreamers’ a group from Hillingdon Cycling Club. They rode unsupported from Land’s End to John O’Groats, finishing on June 16th, and expect to raise around £7000 from pledges. (They are pictured at the end of the ride.) Carolyn was also an international rower and later in the year former team mates of hers are planning a long distance row on the Thames as another fund raiser.

If you’d like to know more about the Trust fund, contribute, or even organise a fundraising event yourself please contact Steven Seaton, c/o Runner’s World, 7-10 Chandos Street, London, W1G 9AD.