Team bio

Welcome to our Team Blog.

We must be mad as the Trailwalker challenge means that we walk 100km across the South Downs in less than 30 hours! In fact, the route’s distance and elevation is equivalent to two and a half marathons and climbing both Ben Nevis and Snowdon! The event was originally started by the Queens Gurkha Signals Regiment over 30 years ago as a training exercise to test soldiers’ stamina and teamwork skills. Is it tough? Of course. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

As well as ending up with aching limbs, we'll also end up raising loads of money for both Oxfam and The Gurkha Welfare Trust.

Anyway, we hope you like our blog and will keep following our progress here as the event gets closer. Plus, most importantly, we'd love it if you could donate to our cause. So, please click on the Virgin Money Giving link below.

Bonjour à tous et merci de votre visite sur notre site de collecte de fond pour Oxfam.

Nous sommes deux équipes de 4 personnes et nous avons fondé l’entente cordiale afin de relever un véritable challenge: parcourir à pieds 100 km en une seule traite, en moins de 30 heures soit l’équivalent deux marathons et un semi-marathon !!!
Nous allons relier Petersfield à Brighton dans le sud-est de l’Angleterre. Cette marche qui existe depuis 30 ans a été initiée par le régiment de Gurkhas (des Népalais résistants pouvant parcourir des dizaines de kilomètres) et servait d’entraînement physique tout en testant l’esprit d’équipe. A notre tour, de vivre cette aventure. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus >>>

Saturday, 16 June 2012

A Reconnaissance Walk

Next week, Lawrence, Steve and myself are intending to walk from my offices in Nailsworth back to Bristol. By road it is 31miles (50km) but by linking together several footpaths we can walk it, although I estimate the distance walking will be closer to 40miles (65km).
We want to complete this for a few reasons. Firstly, it will be the longest distance we will have walked to date and it will stand us in good stead for the 100km Trailwalker event. Secondly, the last third of the walk will be in darkness (we're not leaving until late afternoon). Walking in the dark through the countryside will be a whole new experience and will be great preparation for walking overnight on Trailwalker.
I've studied the maps that cover our prospective route and have have found that we can follow the Monarchs Way for a large portion of our walk.

The Monarchs Way is actually a 615 mile (990km) long-distance footpath that roughly follows the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated at the Battle of Worcester. It goes from Worcester, south towards Bristol and then south east through Somerset & Dorset eventually ending up in Shoreham-by-Sea where the king made his escape to France. In all it took King Charles 6 weeks to cover the route, but I only had a Saturday morning to check it out.
I wanted to familiarise myself with some of the route that we'll be walking when it's dark, especially where it crosses the M4, so I parked my car by Doynton Church and set off following the waymarks.
Once again I found myself in beautiful countryside despite the strong winds, grey sky and frequent rain showers. At one point I had a close encounter with 2 buzzards as they flew across a field at head height about 10m in front of me and later on I had a fright when a deer darted out of a hedgerow less than 2m in front of me. I'm not sure which of us was more startled!

After 7miles (11.3km) I reached Chipping Sodbury and after a quick sit down with a chocolate bar, I turned back. The return trip was less eventful for wildlife encounters, except in one field a herd of cows was gathered around the narrow gate. As I got to the gate they seemed pretty reluctant to move so I had to physically push one cow out of the way so I could open it! A truly moooving experience!
I was pleased I'd chosen to wear my leather walking boots today as several times I found my self upto my ankles in water or mud. At one point the path crossed a stream and there was no bridge. It was about 2m wide with no way of taking a run up. Thankfully after following the stream through some dense undergrowth for about 100m I found a spot where it was about 30cm narrower. I cleared it with an epic leap with only centimetres to spare. When we get there next week it'll be dark, so I'm pleased I found the alternative crossing in daylight.
All in all, today was a worth while reconnaissance for next week. It'll certainly reduce some of the navigational pressure. Let's hope it's not raining like it was today. So after 14miles (22.5km), it was back home for a shower and then out for my Nephews Stag afternoon/evening to get wet on the inside!

Doynton Church

Neil

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Who Are We?

We are a bunch of English and French who have come together to test ourselves with this challenge and raise lots of money for the 2 charities.
Nous sommes un groupe de français et en anglais qui se sont réunis pour se tester à ce défi et faire beaucoup d'argent pour les 2 organismes de bienfaisance.

Although we have two teams (for registration purposes with the Trailwalker organisers), both teams are going to walk as one - hence our very apt team names.
Bien que nous avons deux équipes (à des fins d'enregistrement avec les organisateurs Trailwalker), les deux équipes vont se promener comme un - donc nos noms d'équipe très aptes.

The two teams each have 4 members and a support driver.
Les deux équipes ont chacune 4 membres et d'un chauffeur de soutien.

Team 1 (1 ere équipe) = l'entente cordiale are Stephen Edwards, Neil Paramor, Sebastian Vivier & Lawrence Parr.

Team 2 (2 ieme équipe) = l'entente cordiale part deux are Christelle Gianone, Joel Provenchere, Caroline Dardoize & Richard Spillett.

Rachel Van Hoven (she's Dutch!) is currently our valued support driver for both teams.
Rachel Van Hoven (elle est hollandaise!) est actuellement notre chauffeur précieux soutien pour les deux équipes.

Team Bio

Team 1

		Neil Paramor


Hi, I'm Neil & I live in Bristol with my wife Angela & daughter Charlotte. I grew up in Ramsgate & met Steve when I was 16 (we both worked in Tesco), which means I have known him for 24 years. Yes, this year is a big year for both of us as we turn 40! I'm not really sure when Steve first mentioned taking part in Trailwalker to me & I'm sure my brain has blanked out me accepting the invitation as I have no recollection of the moment of madness when I actually said yes. Anyway I'm now training for it, as several years of comfortable living has taken its toll! I'm looking forward to the event with a certain nervous trepidation but I know the camaraderie in the team & the money we're raising will make the pain well worth it. If you want some boring info about me, here it is: I run a company that sells equipment for boats, I enjoy growing my own fruit & veg on my allotment (plus I’ve got 8 chickens!), my favourite sports are sailing & rugby, my favourite film is The Life of Brian & I enjoy a good beer!

		Stephen Edwards


I've been looking at completing the challenge that is Trailwalker for a few years now & I think turning 40 in June & the inevitable midlife crisis was the impetus to finally get involved. I'm a travel consultant with Trailfinders (no relation to Trailwalker) & live in the village of Chartham, just outside Canterbury in Kent. I share my space with my girlfriend Rachel who happens to also be our support driver. My other connections within our group go back a few years. Neil is my oldest friend and has suffered through 23 years of my company (dammit, Joel & Seb beat us). Seb & I met on the banks of the Kaligandaki river in Nepal on a rafting trip & have shared several adventures since. Richard & I worked together as English teachers to foreign students in Canterbury & have remained good friends. During our epic walk I'm looking forward to several hours discussion on our mutual interests, gardening & gastronomy with Neil, travel with Seb & literature & the meaning of life with Richard. I'm yet to meet the rest of the team but am looking forward to walks in France, London & the West Country soon & getting to know them all just as well. My daughter Jessica thinks we're all slightly unhinged undertaking this trial of a trail but I think it's going to be amazing; friendship, the walk of a lifetime, helping two great causes & a sunrise over the south coast to help us over the finish line are not to be missed.

		Sebastian Vivier


42 years old, I am living in Paris & working for a French Credit Inusrance Company named Coface as a Control Management Expert in charge of the Group Commercial reporting. It sounds like “ no fun”… fortunately, I have a background in Sales, Marketing and Customer Relationship Management… Is it better???. I am a sporty person practising various sports on a weekly basis such as golf (competitions), jogging & swimming. I am about to be certified as first level instructor in Scuba Diving with the French Diving Association CMAS while I have already my N3, allowing me to dive down to 60m in total autonomy with a buddy. I came across Stephen 9 years ago while I was travelling around the world a year off. Both met in Nepal in April 2003 as we were rafting a wild river… not really, a little bit shaky!!! Then, we decided to join for walking half of the Anapurna tour from Pokara to Jomson. Few years later, in 2008, we decided to visit Cuba together…. We are sharing revolutionary ideas/points of view!!! We intend to meet each other once in a while to keep on reinforcing our solid friendship despite distance & cultural bounderies. Actually, we are not that much different or am I converting myself into an english native person...!!! The idea of participating in the Trailwalkers event was introduced by Stephen in Oct 2011 while visiting him in Canterburry & straight away, I replied: “ let’s do it” without really knowing what it was all about!!! Regarding the other people, Christelle & I shared the High school benches in the late eighties before loosing each other from sight for many years. Our paths crossed again via a French social network 4 years ago. Even if we do not see each other much we had sporty holidays in the French Carribean Islands: Guadeloupe (2011) & Martinique (2012) & since we plan to challenge ourselves on a yearly basis in participating to similar events as Trailwalkers. Joel & I have been sharing a 24year ongoing friendship through time & always been around. Joel was at start a schoolmate and we, Christelle, Joel & I were in the same class for a year. We have been sharing many events together and trekked in the past in our beautiful volcanic region named Massif central or Auvergne. Caroline is the last team member I met not so long ago (4 years) through work. We were colleagues in the same company Coface… Until, she betrayed us moving to the competition!!! But no hard feelings between us as she accepted to join the team. We do not know each other as well as the others but we have already shared good moments & offering her to join the team was quite an easy decision on my side as she likes walking.

		Lawrence Parr


I'm Loz and I live in Whiteley, Hampshire. I'm not as old as the others and as such feel reasonably confident I will finish the event in one piece, and walking. I'm mad on cycling and will often spend my weekends on 2 wheels either in full lycra on the road or baggy shorts falling off the side of a large hill in Wales. I'm also getting in to running thanks to the efforts of my girlfriend whipping me into some sort of reasonable shape. Either way I love being outdoors, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of the Trailwalker. Star sign: Cancer

Team 2


		Caroline Dardoize


I guess I am the youngest member of the team with my 34 years and it appears as well I am the second and the last woman of the group. I need to thank Christelle for my integration into "l'entente cordiale". Indeed, as she did not want to be the only girl in this crazy adventure, her best friend Seb looked for somebody who do not think too much and would take a chance. He teased me and I was trapped !!! I agreed after some glasses of wine to join this challenging walk and then begins the story.... Despite the physical pain it may cause and the challenge to collect money, I bet we will reach our goal :-)) How much would you bet? Combien pariez-vous? Si c'est le sens que tu voulais donner. oui c'est tout à fait ça


		Joel Provenchere


I am just 40 this year (since February), married, with two little children (3,5 and 5,5 years old). I know Sebastien for years (24 exactly !) and he's a very close friend of mine. He proposed to me the 2012 trailwalkers event, and I said, "yes, why not?". I am used to do walkings on trails in our volcanic Region of Auvergne in the centre of France but also, I really enjoy walks in the French Alps. I used to be very sporty (Paris Marathon for example in 2005) but this two last year, I made little sports because of an accident that keeps me away from sport. But now, I feel ready for a come back ! I am very pleased to do that with Sebastien English friends and with "atomic" Christelle, that i know for years also (at the same time as Sebastien) but we didn't get in touch for many years. It's funny to see how people can match again. I hope we'll meet soon with caroline. Otherwise, we'll have 30 hours to share our lives by the 14 and 15 of July ! :-)


		Christelle Gianone


My name is christelle. I am married & I have two children, Mateo 5-year-old & Laïa 4 year old. I have been living for almost 10 years in Spain. Tapas, sangria & the sun charmed me. I spent my teenage in Auvergne (center of France), my student's life in Toulouse & a part of my professional life between Carcassonne & Paris. I am working at present in the suburbs of Barcelona for a telecom company as a frontdesk manager. I have been enrolled by Sébastien, in this fabulous human challenge & I am grateful to him for offering me such opportunity to over pass me. From a sportive point of view, I maybe not as fit as the others & I did not fall in the magic potion as Obelix !!!.... However, I have a sporty spirit, I am punchy & perseverant. Therefore, I will go up to the end, for the NGO, for the people who believes in me & support me & by solidarity for my team mates. Where there is a will, there is a way. My motivation & my optimisum will make this experience come true. See you on the starting line !!!


		Richard Spillett


I am Richard Spillett. I am from Canterbury in Kent but am currently living in London and working as a freelance journalist, based mainly at the High Court. Before that I worked on the Isle of Thanet Gazette local paper in Margate. After finishing my studies in Edinburgh, I lived in Russia, where I met my lovely wife Dina, with whom I now have a superstar little daughter, Sasha, who is six months old. My physical exertions have so far been mainly limited to football and tennis, but I have got into walking since reading Will Self’s “psychogeography” essays, and am busy “orienting” myself on the streets of south London. Trailwalker poses a huge challenge to me as I’ve never gone in for marathons or other charity events before. But I am looking forward to it. It will make a nice change to walk unencumbered by a buggy or Baby-Bjorn.

Support Team


		Rachel Van Hoven


I'm Rachel, I live in Chartham near Canterbury with my boyfriend Stephen, the mastermind of this madness. After leaving the Netherlands I spent a few years in drizzly Dublin & moved to the UK in 2008. I am very happy here in Kent & intend to stick around. I work for a local homelessness charity where I am the Community Fundraiser. It's a fun job & it's great to work for something I believe in. I do not like to exercise, only cycle because it comes with the nationality, & rarely walk beyond 3 hours so, the role of support driver is perfect for me. Very happy to be involved & definitely don't envy the guys who actually have to do it. Looking forward to July! ..

Teams l'entente cordiale and l'entente cordiale part deux