Caernarfon mum, 40, walks up 36-floor building for charity

Llywela Wharton, 40, and her partner, Martin Peet, faced the 10th annual Walkie Talkie Tower Climb event on Saturday, March 28, and both finished in just more than 17 minutes.

The challenge involves participants making their way up the Fenchurch Building in London (nicknamed “The Walkie-Talkie”) to its Sky Garden, raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity in doing so.

Llywela and Martin celebrate reaching the top of the Walkie-Talkie building (Image: Llywela Wharton)

Funds raised were put towards building a “world-leading, child-focused” children’s cancer centre at the hospital.

Llywela said: “It went really well. We got there quite early, did a little warm-up, and it was a really nice feeling when we eventually got to the top.

“Some people ran up the stairs – one person did it in five minutes, just legging it up the stairs – we made sure we were at the back because we knew we weren’t going to be running it!

“For the first 10 floors, we were alright, but then between floors 10 and 20 we thought: ‘What the hell we let ourselves in for?!’

“Every so often, we had volunteers egging us on and handing out water, and once we had water, we were rehydrated and ready to go again

Llywela and Martin celebrate reaching the top of the Walkie-Talkie building (Image: Llywela Wharton)

“We were just pacing ourselves; we didn’t rush it. We weren’t there to outdo anyone; it was just about doing something nice. When we got to the top, we got a well-earned glass of champagne.

“We weren’t that tired afterwards – we went to Camden Market afterwards and did some haggling – but we felt it later on.

“It was a workout for the hips more than the knees. I was obviously fitter than I thought I was!”

Donations can be still pledged to support Llywela by visiting: fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/llywelawharton.

Llywela added: “We raised just under £900 between us, and people can still donate if they want to. Every little helps, even if it makes a difference to just one child or one family. Hopefully it will.

“Some of Martin’s colleagues met us at the top, which was really nice. We got our little medals at the top.”

Great Ormond Street Hospital added: “No childhood should be cut short by cancer.

“Research and treatments have dramatically improved survival, but cancer is still the biggest killer of children aged one to 14 in the UK.

“Great Ormond Street Hospital needs a new home for breakthrough treatments, so we can save more children’s lives.

“And because cancer shouldn't get to steal anyone's childhood, we need a place that's more than a hospital – a place that's a school, a playground, a garden and so much more.”