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After more than 14 hours in the saddle, Jill Scott completed the first leg of her journey from Wembley Stadium to Sunderland, arriving at Aston Villa's Villa Park shortly after 9pm on Monday evening
Just nine hours later, Jill was back on the road to begin Day Two and a 99-mile cycle from Aston Villa's Villa Park to Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool
Former Lioness teammate Carly Telford joined Jill on the road ahead of a special Lioness reunion and hero’s welcome at the Hill Dickinson Stadium before England's FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine
England manager Sarina Wiegman and fellow I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star Owen Warner weigh in with their support
Money raised will help support Sport Relief-funded projects helping people build connections, confidence and a sense of belonging through the power of sport and community
The public can track Jill's progress live throughout the week and donate by visiting https://www.comicrelief.com/jillscott
Tuesday 9 June: After completing the first leg of her journey from Wembley Stadium to Aston Villa's Villa Park shortly after 9pm on Monday evening, Jill Scott was back on the road at 6.30am this morning to continue her epic journey home to Sunderland.
With tired legs, cold toes, aching muscles and another 99 miles ahead of her, the Lioness legend is battling through another day of unpredictable weather as she heads to Liverpool and Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium, in what is proving to be the toughest challenge of her life. By the time she crosses the finish line Jill will have completed more than 200 miles in just two days.
Reflecting on the duathlon challenge, Jill said: “We got caught in a bit of traffic last night so was a late finish and long day. I think I had about five hours sleep last night but we’re ready to go, day two! My body’s holding up but it’s my knees that are sore from going up the hills. Like I said before, it’s going to be a painful challenge, but we’re trying to raise as much money as possible and I’m just determined to complete it.
“I'm just getting on with it today – hopefully there’ll be flat whites waiting for me along the way. I’ve seen people say the crowds really get you through these challenges but it’s true. I didn’t even think anyone would know about the challenge this early into it and it’s just incredible, so I just wanted to say thank you so much for the support, everybody’s been so kind.”
Later today, Jill's football journey comes full circle once again as she heads to Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of England's FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine. And who better to join her than former Lioness teammate and close friend Carly Telford. The pair were reunited on the road in a special Lioness reunion, swapping stories, laughs and encouragement as Jill continued her journey north towards Liverpool.
The finish line promises to be a memorable moment, with fans gathering ahead of England's match against Ukraine and ready to cheer on one of the nation's most-loved Lionesses home, after another exhausting day in the saddle.
Former Lioness, Carly Telford said: “I’ve shared a lot of incredible moments with Jill as her best friend, but this is right up there. To be doing something bigger than ourselves, together, is an absolute honour. I’m so proud of her, she’s worked so hard her whole life, and the way she now uses who she is to give back to others just sums her up perfectly.
“The ride was pretty brutal at times - sun, hills, rain, even a bit of singing - but that’s Jill all over. She never takes life too seriously, no matter how tough the challenge, and she always finds a way to make people smile. We’ve been on a ride together for more than 20 years and I feel incredibly lucky to share this ride with Jilly.”
Support has continued to pour in from across the world of sport and entertainment. England manager Sarina Wiegman sent Jill a special good luck message ahead of the challenge, wishing her well as she embarked on the toughest physical test of her life.
And the encouragement hasn't stopped since. Fellow I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! campmate and close friend Owen Warner checked in via FaceTime to offer some much-needed moral support.
Owen Warner said: "I thought the jungle was tough, but after hearing what Jill's putting herself through this week, I'll never complain about sleeping in a hammock again. She's an absolute legend, and I'm so proud of her for taking this on for such an amazing cause. I'll be cheering her on all the way back to Sunderland."
As the country gears up for a huge summer of football, Jill's challenge continues to celebrate the power of community, connection and belonging – and the people and organisations helping others feel supported and part of something bigger.
Over the course of the week, Jill will revisit football clubs, stadiums and communities that helped shape her path to a glittering career with club and country, while raising vital funds for Sport Relief.
The money raised through Jill's challenge will help more people access the communities, support networks and opportunities that can make a life-changing difference. Across the UK, Sport Relief-funded projects use the power of sport and community to bring people together, build confidence and help people feel connected, supported and part of something bigger.
Supporters can follow Jill's journey in real time mile-by-mile across Comic Relief channels, with live updates, celebrity appearances, behind-the-scenes moments and highlights from the road. A live tracking link will also allow supporters to follow Jill's progress mile-by-mile as she makes her way north towards Sunderland.
To get behind Jill’s challenge and donate visit www.comicrelief.com/jillscott ENDS ENDS
ASSETS AVAILABLE
Photos and video content of Jill can be found here(opens in new window)
Launch trailer can be found here(opens in new window)
ProRes version of launch trailer available here(opens in new window)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Comic Relief Press Office
0207 820 2500 (Press Office)
media@comicrelief.com(opens in new window)
www.comicrelief.com/media-centre(opens in new window)
Out of hours enquiries: 0207 820 2444
NOTES TO EDITORS
JILL’S ROUTE HOME
Day 1 (Monday 8 June) – 112-mile cycle from Wembley Stadium to Villa Park
Day 2 (Tuesday 9 June) – Cycle 99 miles from Villa Park to Everton Hill Dickinson Stadium
Day 3 (Wednesday 10 June) – Run 38 miles from Everton to Joie Stadium Manchester
Day 4 (Thursday 11 June) – cycle 111 miles Manchester to Bishop Auckland
Day 5 (Friday 12 June) – Run 28 miles from Bishop Auckland to Stadium of Light
Sport Relief
Sport Relief harnesses the power of sport and entertainment to bring people together across the UK, to get active, have fun and raise life-changing funds. Since launching in 2002, Sport Relief has raised £420million so far, thanks to the generous British public, and supported millions of lives in the UK and around the world.
For over 20 years, Comic Relief’s ‘Sport for Change’ funding has been supporting projects that are using sport to change lives and to help tackle issues including mental health, gender justice, unemployment, and social exclusion.
Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief. For more information, visit comicrelief.com/sportrelief
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners.
For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com(opens in new window) or follow @comicrelief on Facebook(opens in new window), Instagram(opens in new window), LinkedIn (opens in new window)and TikTok (opens in new window)for the latest content and news.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
