The EPT 80 in 1 Challenge 2021

08 Sep 2021 | By Kerri
EPT 80 in 1

Hear from some of our 2021 EPT 80 in 1 Challengers!

We asked some of our challengers why they decided to take part in this year’s challenge, fundraising for the charity and what their highs of the month were. Please be advised some challengers’ experiences and photos mention or include older children.

Jacqui

Jacqui has taken part in many different fundraising challenges and events to raise awareness of ectopic pregnancy and the impact it can have on those affected by the condition. While this year has been met with many challenges, at the time of writing Jacqui had successfully completed the challenge for the second year.

I took this challenge on again this year due to the ectopic pregnancy I suffered in July 2019.  

I’ve had more lows than highs this year; I suffered another miscarriage in May, and while the start of August went well, I really started to suffer and lost motivation after a fall. Reaching out to the EPT team has helped to boost my confidence again to carry on. I hope to finish the 80 in 1 challenge in the next 10 days.  

I find the challenge emotional but very worthwhile and I will take part again next year!

Abby

Why I did the Challenge: After becoming seriously lazy in lockdown, I needed a challenge to kick me up the bum. I’m the type of person who needs to be doing something for a charity to be motivated to keep on exercising!  I’ve also only recently started to come to terms with my ectopic that happened nearly 3 years ago, so I thought what a perfect time to do something for the trust.  The Trust had much more detailed information on their website than my GP offered me and I would hate for any future sufferers to not have access to that information and the multiple support services that the Trust offers.  Having emailed in before with my own questions, I know how important it is to have the answers and the Trust were there for me when I needed them to be.  

Highs and lows: Both my high and low of doing the challenge was definitely my final walk.  I was so happy to have finished but it also made me quite emotional.  My partner came out on nearly every walk/run and we always spoke about my ectopic which we don’t really do a lot so it brought up a lot of emotions for the both of us. When the challenge was over, I felt quite emotional but I am so happy I took part and definitely had more highs than lows.  Walking definitely helps clear your head and I’ll 100% be getting out more after work.  

How I found the Challenge: Again, emotional which I wasn’t expecting but also fun!  We tended to stick to the same route every week night for ease after work but at the weekends it was nice to be away from home in the fresh air, sometimes rain (see pictures haha).  I was really pleased and proud of raising over £500 for the Trust, after setting an initial target of £200.  I can’t thank the Challenge Facebook group enough either. It was nice to speak to people who had been through the same thing. There’s a lot of stigma around pregnancy loss and it isn’t really spoken about much, especially ectopic pregnancies. 

Cheryl

We decided to take part in the Challenge after we experienced an ectopic pregnancy in March where I unfortunately ruptured and lost my tube. The EPT website has given me so much reassurance and hope.  

The highs from our challenge were  being outdoors walking with each other and spending some quality time together as well as taking part with our children’s help too. We saw some lovely different places on our walks . 

Our lows were being reminded of the challenging time we had experienced but grateful to be doing something to help ourselves and others who have been through the same thing. Doing the challenge was at times hard and we had to push ourselves to do it sometimes but it made us feel so good when we had completed each walk. 

Sophie

I was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy at 8 weeks pregnant in June 2021. The first information leaflet I received was from The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust. Through all the different emotions, I kept coming back to that leaflet and eventually I went online to the EPT website. Reading the advice and information really helped me to understand what had happened and that my feelings were valid. This Challenge was a small way of saying thank you to the EPT for their dedicated service.  

My high was running my first 10K since I was treated for my ectopic pregnancy. I didn’t think I was strong enough, mentally or physically but as soon as my Strava hit that 10K mark, I was so proud of myself. Something I hadn’t felt for a long time.  

My low was coming to the end of the Challenge, I started to process my own experience. I realised that I still need to work through my feelings and I have to give myself time.  

I have found the Challenge great. I have raised £560 and I am so overwhelmed and pleased. I loved seeing people’s updates each day, it was a big boost to keep going, especially on those tough days.  

Jade

I took part in the EPT 80 in 1 after suffering an ectopic pregnancy in June. I felt that out of a bad situation that I had no control over, it would be nice to get at least one good thing to come of it.  

My favourite thing about the Challenge was realising how much support I had and that I really wasn’t going through it alone. The only low I can think of is trying to manage to stay on track alongside work and general life, but I did it! 

Overall, I really enjoy the extra time spent with my friends who supported me. I also found that I actually enjoy walking and found that it really clears your mind!

Melissa

Why did you decide to take part in the 80 in 1 Challenge? After surgery for an ectopic pregnancy in June, I was looking for something to focus on to help move forward and saw the 80 in 1 Challenge on the website and thought it was perfect.  It meant that my husband and I could get out in the fresh air, get exercising again and have the space to talk everything through.  He was of course on board and the rest was history!

What were the highs/lows of the Challenge? The highs included seeing the beautiful countryside around Bath whilst strolling, the unwavering support from my family, friends and husband, and the chats about life and the future whilst walking.  The lows for me were the mental challenge of doing the challenge and accepting and embracing the emotions so soon after surgery. It gave me the space to embrace the emotions so although it was tough it was well worth it.

Overall how you found the 80 in 1 Challenge: Inspirational, challenging and rewarding.

Ellie

I decided to take part in the Challenge because in February 2020 I unfortunately experienced an ectopic pregnancy that ended in emergency surgery. The event was very traumatic but I learnt a lot about my fertility and body. I also learned that so many of us go through this and I feel like it’s not really ever spoken about. The Challenge for me has been about raising awareness to encourage opening the dialogue surrounding the subject. I also wanted to improve my own mental well-being by doing something positive.

The highs were “surprisingly” actually enjoying my early morning runs before going to work, something I’m hoping to continue. The lows were trying to stay motivated during a busy working week to make up the miles, but what kept me motivated was the thought of all the ectopic mums out there, like me, who have to find strength to keep going. In my mind, healing from an ectopic pregnancy was a far greater challenge than completing the 80 miles, that’s what kept me going anyway!!

I’ve really enjoyed the Challenge and especially pushing myself to get motivated and back into running again. I definitely feel more positive as I move towards a second surgery to find out the fate of my remaining Fallopian tube.

Zara and Matt

We took part in this year’s 80 in 1 Challenge to raise money because The EPT were there at a scary time to answer any questions and provide full support. I didn’t know whether what I was going through was normal, but the website provided full reassurance.  

There really were no lows. We got to explore some really nice locations and the best one was Pen Y Fan! This made me a bit emotional to be honest, felt like a true tribute to all the women going through this and the babies we never got to meet. 

The Challenge was so much fun and we’ll be doing it again next year. 

Hannah

I went through the heartbreak of an ectopic pregnancy in May this year. After recovering from emergency surgery, I found The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust to be a fantastic source of information and support. To be able to raise funds to help them to continue their work has been such an honour. 

Talking to family and friends made me realise how little awareness there is about ectopic pregnancy. It’s hard enough having to tell people you’ve lost a baby, but when you have to explain what an ectopic is that makes it even more difficult. The Challenge has helped me to raise vital awareness and given me opportunities to talk about what we went through. 

There have been so many highs throughout the month. One of my absolute favourite moments was being chased down by a lady who saw our t-shirts, asked if we were fundraising, and kindly gave us some money! I haven’t had any real lows, although the Challenge has helped me to start properly processing what we have been through and there have been some days where I’ve felt pretty emotional. 

Overall, it’s been an absolutely incredible experience with so much support from family, friends and everyone on the Facebook group. I’m so glad I decided to take part and I can’t wait to do it again next year! 

Clair

I wanted to take part in the EPT 80 in 1 Challenge following my ectopic pregnancy in April 2021. I became very unwell very quickly, and being a nurse, at first I thought it was a miscarriage as I had a previous miscarriage in February 2011. I knew after a short time this wasn’t the case and it was so much worse and suspected an ectopic pregnancy. Fast forward me arriving at A&E, I was very quickly dismissed. I was made to feel it couldn’t possibly be an ectopic. After losing consciousness, they then began to take me more seriously and then very quickly I was rushed to theatre. For me, I don’t want anyone to go through what I did at the hospital, so through raising more awareness among my friends, colleagues and family, I believe that we can ensure that people get treatment at the right time. I wanted to turn such a traumatic experience into a positive focus point to save lives and know the signs.  

The Challenge itself brought out all sorts of emotions. The highs for me where achieving all the miles – pushing myself on when I wanted to stop, having walks with my family and just taking in the outdoors. My favourite time to walk was in the rain, with my headphones in. It allowed me to really think about how far I have come, both physically and mentally. It was even nice to stop and chat to a few people about what I was doing. One particular time, I was with my mum on my longest walk and we met a parent from her school. I could just see and feel how proud she was of me to do this Challenge, but she definitely made sure the person knew just how lucky I was to be here. There was a few times that I felt myself starting to cry. It came from nowhere, but it was deep rooted. At the very beginning, it was hard when I was out walking and seeing all the babies in prams or passing a pregnant lady. But by the end I knew I could do it and did, we just never know their journey to having that baby.  

At the very beginning, I thought the Challenge was going to be a walk in the park (pun intended) but I then realised it was a bit harder to fit in a decent walk after work, or to try and encourage my 9 year old to tag along. I had blisters at the start but still walked on. Nearing the end, I was getting so excited to finish, the messages of encouragement were so helpful, and I had lots of people watching from the side-lines. Seeing the miles tally up and knowing that I was on track to complete it was an amazing feeling. I am just so thankful that I’m still here to tell my story, to raise awareness and to be lucky enough to find the charity. 

Mary

I took part in the EPT 80 in 1 to raise awareness for such a wonderful charity so dear to my heart and who have supported me in more ways than words can say after our little one, Tiny Toes, found a home in my left tube. 

I have loved every moment of every day on the 31 days of running for our little one and raising awareness with my mum who took on the Challenge to walk 80 miles for Tiny Toes. It’s been amazing to see friends who have reached out after all these years and supported me and took the time to join me on a run and say what is the charity and where does our money go and it fills my heart with so much joy to tell them. 

I’ve loved spending time with Mum …. she is such an inspiration to me and so incredibly strong … even saying we going to do 100 miles love for Tiny Toes! Without her, I wouldn’t have come this far and I wish things were different but without Tiny Toes I wouldn’t have met such wonderful women at such an amazing charity and, from the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful. 

Kaytlin

I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a post pop up for the challenge. I have been struggling with infertility for four years, and have lost five babies in that time, three were to ectopic pregnancies. The one year anniversary of my last one fell in August and this Challenge just seemed like the perfect way to honour my babies and do something to challenge myself during this time.  

I had a lot of highs during the Challenge. On day 1, my whole family walked with me, even my in-laws. One night, some of my students came to join me. Another day, my co-worker invited our entire staff to come support me. During one of my walks, someone reached out to me on Facebook, she told me she’d seen me out walking and wanted to thank me for sharing my story. She had suffered her own ectopic in July and was struggling. I can’t say that I really had any lows! 

I really loved the Challenge! At first, I was dreading the running, but at some point I read a quote that said something along the lines of “exercise shouldn’t be a punishment for your body, rather a celebration of what it can do”. That really stuck with me and I think it fits this Challenge really well. All too often, I feel like my body is turning on me, or failing me. It can be easy to have a negative view of your body. But this Challenge reminded me that my body may have its struggles but, it is still strong and can do hard things! 

Lucy

I decided to take part in the 80 in 1 Challenge as I saw it as a great way to get the charity’s brand out there and raise vital funds. I also really enjoy running but rarely get to do it often. This was the perfect reason to make time for me! Trainers on, music in my ears, and just run.

I’ve done the 80 in 1 Challenge two years running and the first year I did it, it surprised me the emotions and feelings that I had. When I had my ectopic, I’d put the lid on this big box of emotions and hadn’t processed it. Going out running on my own kind of forced me to think those thoughts I’d been too scared to before. I guess that was a low point. But knowing I had this amazing community of others who knew how I felt really changed that low in to a high. I love the feeling that we’re part of a big family and even though we might be in different boats, we’re all riding the same storm. 

I found the 80 in 1 Challenge empowering and made me feel like I’m making a difference. The money I raised wasn’t a huge amount but I’m hoping the awareness I’ve raised is massive. Getting out there in my pink and purple T-shirts and telling people about my journey on social media will hopefully make others aware of this fabulous charity. 

Lynette

Image description: Collage of three photos. First photo is a selfie of a man and a woman wearing EPT t-shirts in front of water. Second photo is a picturesque photo of a woman walking Snowdon. Third picture is a woman wearing an EPT top with her back to the camera with a view of a lake in the distance

I’ve been wanting to do something to help other couples for years but have just never plucked up the courage to openly speak about our experiences or answer questions from others. It’s always been too painful and I’d then break down, the only person I spoke to was my husband Steph. Last year was such a weird year for everyone with Covid-19 that as soon as I saw the post in October 2020 I sent an email to sign up for 2021 before I could chicken out. Also August is our angels anniversaries so thought it’d be a nice little memory to them. 

I loved doing the challenge, the highs for me were pushing myself outside my comfort zone and doing things I’d be too scared to do on my own, I had a lot more time for myself to just think about it all. Climbing Snowdon was amazing! The only low for me was still recovering from long covid so it really was a challenge some days to get myself out but I loved it all because its for a fantastic cause. 

I’ll continue to wear my t-shirt for any big hill climbs because while the challenge has ended, I don’t plan on stopping raising awareness!

Charlotte

I decided to take part in this challenge as I took part in 2020 and it really helped me with my mental health, as have all the other challenges I have done for The EPT; the ept1000 and four virtual challenges.

The high of this challenge was the fact that I pushed myself so much more and raised awareness about ectopic pregnancy. The low about the challenge is the same as it always is with the challenges, that it reminds me of Baby Gilbert who we lost in 2016 and I always wonder ‘what if’ and ‘why’?  

The challenge was brilliant and really got me out & helped with my exercising & mental health thank you all for always being there to support each & everyone of us 

Helen

On 10th June 2021 I was rushed to hospital with abdominal pains and I found out that I was experiencing an ectopic pregnancy. I didn’t even know I was pregnant as I had a coil fitted, had only vaguely heard of an ectopic pregnancy and as far as I was aware no one I knew had had one.  

I went through the whole experience alone, due to Covid-19 my partner wasn’t allowed in with me. The information on the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust’s website was invaluable in understanding what was going on and explaining it to others .  

A major high point was the community of brave women completing the challenge who were all so supportive of each other. Also, in telling people about the challenge that I was doing I had lots of friends open up to me about their own struggles or the people that they knew that had experienced ectopic pregnancies. The low point was when I kept remembering why I was doing this and the reminder that I had lost my baby. 

I found the challenge really inspiring and felt very supported by other people completing the challenge and EPT staff. 

Lyndsey

Going through an ectopic pregnancy in 2016, and not knowing what it actually meant, was scary for myself and my partner. We never knew what it was before and thought our baby would survive until I was rushed down for emergency surgery.  Losing my left tube and our baby was absolutely heart-breaking.

Fast forward 5 years, after having my left tube checked and finding it was all fine we found out we were pregnant again. We had tried and hoped for so long and were left in utter disappointment to find out it was another ectopic pregnancy. We asked ourselves how can that happen again after everything we have been through?! Because of Covid-19 I had our early scan alone while my partner sat in the car, he phoned to hear me crying on my own going for blood tests and I was sent home and asked to come back the next week. The pain started the week after and I was rushed down for another emergency surgery.

After complications and being moved to intensive care, I was finally discharged and started my recovery process.

Eleven weeks later, I started the challenge, it was something I had to do. I won’t lie, it was hard on my body but I’m so proud I pushed myself and completed it. Along with raising so much money for an amazing cause, the awareness raised so that nobody has to go through what we have all had to go through alone was important to me. The time walking alone really made me think about how lucky we are as a couple to have what we have.

Kate

Last August we suffered an ectopic pregnancy. Nick and I were dreading the month of August coming around again so when we saw the 80 in 1 challenge we just knew we needed to sign up! It gave us a such a positive focus for the month of August.  

Our ectopic pregnancy happened during Covid-19, there was no support offered to us and we felt so alone! The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust has been our source of information, hope and support over the last year and we wanted to do something to give back to them. 

The highs of the challenge included exploring some beautiful walks, spending quality time with our friends and family, raising money for such an amazing charity, being able to talk to people about what we have been through and spreading awareness about what ectopic pregnancy is.  We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received and how much money we have raised. 

The challenge has been so rewarding and we both feel really proud of what we’ve achieved. It was so amazing to be part of such an incredible challenge and meet (virtually) such an inspiring and strong group of people.  

We are so grateful for the support from the EPT, our friends and family. 

Laura

In May 2020, I unfortunately suffered from an Ectopic Pregnancy, as a result of this I lost my left fallopian tube and our baby. I struggled not only physically but mentally for some time after my operation. I contacted the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust and arranged a call between myself and one of the amazing volunteers at the charity for a chat. It was so nice to speak to someone who had been through the same thing, and I appreciated every second of it. I now rely on the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust for information and to raise awareness of the dangers an ectopic pregnancy can cause.  

This challenge has encouraged me to get out more, when you are down it is hard to get the motivation to go for a walk or go to the gym, but with the support of the other members of the EPT 80 in 1 Facebook Group, I knew I was not alone. I loved seeing everyone’s progress throughout the event and felt so supported by them as this challenge can sometimes bring back bad memories of what happened, but it is all for the awareness of others.  

I also participated in the 2020 80in1 challenge and have really enjoyed sharing my story and raising awareness. 

Michelle

I first saw the challenge when I was looking for some information on ectopic pregnancies after I was told I had a c section scar ectopic, something I had never heard of before. There was very little information available and the EPT was one of the only UK sites to provide information. 
I was still recovering from surgery but was determined to use it as a way of trying to get better. I’m usually a very active person and had been training for a half marathon prior to all this so being knocked off my feet for 6 weeks had also affected my mental health.  
 
The highs of the challenge was firstly finishing it after I had to take some time out as I was struggling with my recovery. Another high was when I finally shared my story and the amount of support and sponsorship I received from family and friends was overwhelming. I held off telling people for so long but it finally felt a relief when I did. 
 
The low was 2 weeks in when I felt I was unable to carry on with the challenge. I had pushed myself too much too soon and my body was telling me to stop. Once I gave myself some time I felt I needed to finish the challenge and raise awareness, as if I could help just one other person then it was worth it. I think because of the type of ectopic pregnancy I had and the rarity of it I realised I needed to be able to share my story. 
 
I have found it the whole thing challenging as I have pushed myself when my body was still recovering. I wanted to run as much of it as possible as well which was maybe a bit too ambitious but I’ve still done a far few running miles (over half of the eighty miles) and fingers crossed the icing on the cake will be completing my half marathon in my EPT running top. 

Celestine

This is my second year of taking part in the challenge. I have really enjoyed it, I discovered new walks in Manchester as well as going on my usual walks. Knowing I was walking as part of a group (virtually) was really nice and I have met new people and made new friends through the Facebook group.

Registration for August 2022 will open in Summer 2022.

If you have been inspired by our 80 in 1 team, you can find fundraising inspiration here!

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