A Wiltshire man and a friend are embarking on an extraordinary 14,988km journey from the Great Wall of China to Paris in memory of Charlie Hunt, brother of former Chancellor Sir Jeremy Hunt MP.
James Hall-Smith, from Marlborough, and Ed Talbot, both 56, are navigating through 12 countries in a restored 1972 Lancia Fulvia as part of the prestigious Hero-Era Peking to Paris Motor Challenge.
Their expedition honours Charlie, who passed away in August 2023 from spindle cell sarcoma, an ultra-rare cancer which accounts for just six out of every 10,000 cancer diagnoses in the UK.
The three had known each other since they were young men. It was Charlie’s own adventurous spirit and can-do attitude that inspired James and Ed to take on the challenge.
James, who was one of Charlie’s best men at his wedding, said: ‘His attitude in life, and while fighting this terrible disease, was only upbeat and positive. Charlie embraced everything life had to offer and brought a contagious energy to all he did.
‘He was a doer and went on a lot of expeditions himself such as climbing Machu Picchu in Peru. He would have been very excited for us taking part in this event.’
In honour of him, James and Ed will be taking a mascot with them on their travels, a doll called Chazmondo. He will have his own seat in the 1972 Lancia Fulvia that James and Ed – who both have a background in engineering – have prepared for the six-week challenge that starts on 17 May.
They will drive through China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, and then travel across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan. From there, the challenge continues through Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and finally France.
James, an energy infrastructure investor, and Ed, an engineer, are raising funds and awareness for charity Sarcoma UK that is one of the biggest funders of sarcoma research in the UK, having invested £8 million in 98 pioneering projects to date. A fund has been set up by the charity in Charlie’s name to spearhead efforts to fund more research into ultra-rare sarcomas such as the subtype that killed him.
Kerry Reeves-Kneip, Sarcoma UK’s Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: ‘This challenge embodies Charlie’s adventurous spirit and positive outlook that inspired all who knew him, while raising crucial funds for Sarcoma UK to advance research into rare cancers that claim too many lives too soon. Every journey taken in Charlie’s memory helps shine a light on these devastating ultra-rare cancers that often go undetected until it’s too late.
‘James and Ed’s extraordinary challenge across continents represents exactly the kind of determination and spirit we need to advance research into sarcomas like spindle cell sarcoma. With just six cases in every 10,000 cancer diagnoses, these rare cancers desperately need more visibility and research funding. Through challenges like this, we can transform the landscape of sarcoma treatment and give hope to patients and families facing these difficult diagnoses.’
To donate to James and Ed, go to James Hall-Smith and Ed Talbot is fundraising for Sarcoma UK
