‘Tootsie Roller’ Lisa Walks Her First MoonWalk London

For almost 20 years our amazing supporters from all over the world have been joining us for the famous MoonWalk London and together with our other challenges, have raised an incredible £112 million so far! Here Lisa, a member of the fabulous retro girl band The Tootsie Rollers, tells us about her first MoonWalk London!

When Sally at Walk the Walk first broached the idea of The Tootsie Rollers Walking the Walk, the other girls in the band were thrilled. I wasn't convinced. When Sally told me it'd be fine as we were only signing up to the Half Moon, I wasn't convinced. When the girls said we would get matching outfits to fit with the carnival theme, I still wasn't convinced. The problem was, half marathon or not, it was still a marathon... A MARATHON! Now, the last time I entered a gym, The Spice Girls had just released 'Wannabe' and 'Ross and Rachel' weren't yet a thing... How could I walk a marathon when walking up the stairs in my house had recently become a chore?

Suitably coerced I bought some new trainers and started my Walking training. On my first walk across London I passed the beautiful leafy Heath where people were picnicking with their partners, I passed boutiques I'd never seen before, I crossed Blackfriars Bridge and saw the River Thames and the London Eye from a new angle. On foot, I was seeing my hometown through new eyes. Before I knew it I'd Walked 8 miles...on my first Walk! I'd also acquired 8 blisters, one for each mile, on both feet and was put out of action for a week. So I quickly learned that Compeed, inner soles and other spongy shoe accessories are a Walker's friend. I continued my training and on the day of the The MoonWalk London we didn't have much time to think about being nervous about the Walk itself as we were performing first, to thousands of people in the Big Pink Tent!

We dressed in 'secrets in lace' yellow vintage bullet bras and bright floral outfits by 'collectif' befitting the 'carnival' theme and walked onstage to join celebrities such as Jennifer Saunders and Harriet Thorpe while singing our MoonWalk single "Walk the Walk". (All proceeds are being donated to Walk the Walk... available on iTunes)

After slipping a pair of leggings on (they were from New Look and said 'Run the World' on them) and my new, souped up trainers, we began the Walk. This is where it really hit me exactly how momentous an event this was. Sure I'd seen the crowds before me while I was up onstage, I knew a lot of people did this, but Walking with them, side by side through the night, was another matter entirely. I was close enough to see the detail in the custom made bras, the individuals who walked vigorously into the night at double my pace (I was lapped by people walking the Full Moon!), the groups of people who waited for their friends to catch up and share their water and hear their words of encouragement.

The Tootsies and I chatted the whole way round; we took the time to appreciate the city we live in, tell each other stories and laugh about past memories as we made a new one. We definitely took a selfie or too and I must be honest the time flew...

Until the final 2 miles...

My toes had begun to hurt, they felt like they were on fire but that was when my friend Meg pulled out her app to tell us how many steps we had taken. I was gobsmacked. A few months prior, Walking to the local shop felt like an effort, I thought about how fit I felt now and how far I'd come, not just metaphorically but in actual miles! I was on mile 13! What were two more miles when I had walked THIRTEEN?! I was a superhero, a gladiator! I begun contemplating my future as an Olympian and whether I was too late to enter for 2016! I ploughed ahead and Anna and I crossed the finish line together, essentially holding each other up, but laughing all the way. It's a cliche but I genuinely felt exhilarated crossing the finish line as I was handed my medal. I felt so proud of us all.

However, the real achievement came when we logged onto our donation page and realised that we had smashed our suggested target by over £500! The support and lovely messages left on the page were so inspiring.

My medal now has pride of place in the living room and whenever I feel like I can't... Whatever it is... I remember that I have completed a half-marathon, at night, for charity! Full Moon next year maybe...? I'll need more Compeed...

Lisa x

Join us on the 13th May 2017 as we celebrate The 20th MoonWalk London with a ‘Roaring Twenties’ theme... unite with us against breast cancer and help make a difference.