A South West England man will lead a collective effort to pull a truck one mile along the Bournemouth coastline to raise money for Target Ovarian Cancer, two years after losing his wife to the disease.
Dorset-based Edward (Edd) Wilson, 33, has collaborated with Run Bournemouth to host the unique fundraiser on Saturday 10 October in memory of his late wife Sophie.
Edd is aiming to raise £50,000 through the fundraiser known as Sophie’s Mile, with the charitable arm of Zurich Insurance Group, the Z Zurich Foundation, generously committing to match every pound he raises up to that amount.
Taking inspiration from Sophie’s strength
Sophie died in November 2024 at age 29, about five years after first being diagnosed as having potentially cancerous cells.
Edd said Sophie – whom he met while studying at Bournemouth University in 2015 – was remarkably kind, funny and resilient, and had a sense of adventure that often inspired him to step outside of his comfort zone.
Christmas is a time of year that particularly reminds Edd of Sophie, as she took great joy in cooking or otherwise creating beautiful gifts for her friends, family and their children.
“She was Miss Christmas and would make homemade calendars for the children with little sweets and coins in them,” Edd said.
Sophie visited the doctor in 2019 after struggling with a range of symptoms, including bloating, stomach pain, feeling full quickly and abnormal bleeding.
She was diagnosed with potentially cancerous cells and had surgery to remove one of her ovaries.
Over the following two years, Sophie was diagnosed with ovarian and womb cancer, resulting in the removal of her second ovary and a hysterectomy.
Edd said Sophie showed incredible strength while navigating being unwell and undergoing chemotherapy, including collaborating with Edd to start an online retail business when she couldn’t continue her usual work as a hairdresser.
“Any task you put in front of her, she would plough through it. She’s never done anything with computers, but she picked it up so fast it was mad,” Edd said.
In August 2024, Sophie was diagnosed with cancer around her bowel, abdomen, and pelvis, related to her original ovarian cancer diagnosis.
Edd proposed to Sophie in the following months, with the pair going on to get married at her hospital bed in the hours before she died in November.
“She was smiling from ear to ear,” Edd said of the moment he proposed to Sophie at hospital surrounded by balloons. “She might’ve even cried, which was unlike her.”
Pulling an idea into reality
Edd knew soon after losing Sophie that he wanted to do something difficult and unique to drive ovarian cancer awareness and support.
Inspired by the truck pulls he’d seen in strongman competitions, Edd felt the challenge would fit the brief perfectly. He also thought it would symbolise walking a mile in Sophie’s shoes and working together to drive change.
Edd found a willing partner in the organisers of Run Bournemouth, who offered to host the truck pull along the Bournemouth Promenade (between Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers) from 10am to 5pm on the first day of their running festival on 10 October.
The one-mile challenge will be split into 40-metre segments, with Edd being joined by a range of his and Sophie’s family members, friends and other associates across England.
“Everyone is training in their own way, all in different parts of the country,” Edd said.
A generous workplace helps double Edd’s impact
The Z Zurich Foundation's commitment to match Edd’s fundraising target of £50,000 means a significant number of donations to Sophie’s Mile will be doubled, amplifying the impact of every contribution and helping Target Ovarian Cancer drive earlier diagnoses and support those affected by the disease.
Edd, who works as a communications consultant for Zurich UK, has so far raised more than £12,500 through a range of activities, including bake sales and an online Pokémon card auction.
Target Ovarian Cancer CEO Catherine Hart said the charity was deeply grateful to Edd, the Z Zurich Foundation and Run Bournemouth for their support. “We’re so grateful to everyone taking part in Sophie’s Mile. The funds raised will help us work towards women being diagnosed earlier and receiving better treatment and care and help ensure that anyone affected by ovarian cancer can access support,” Catherine said.
“Sophie’s Mile will also raise vital awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms, encouraging more women to recognise when something isn’t right and speak to their GP.”
Ruth Adamson, Regional Engagement Manager Europe and Middle East for the Z Zurich Foundation said: “The most powerful community impact happens when individual action inspires collective generosity. Edd has transformed his determination to honour Sophie into a movement that is raising both awareness and vital funds. Through donation matching, the Z Zurich Foundation is proud to help double the impact of supporters’ generosity and contribute to better outcomes for those affected by ovarian cancer.”
Edd said while Sophie probably wouldn’t have expected him to pull a truck a mile, he knows she would be proud of the upcoming event.
“I think she’d be a bit baffled that I was doing this and a little bit fuming that she got such publicity, but she would be buzzing that this will help others with ovarian cancer,” he said.
“I know how much she didn’t want anyone else to go through what she did.”
You can donate to Sophie Mile’s using the JustGiving page for the event.
