Professor Greg Whyte supports Jo Brand with her Sport Relief challenge
Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science, Greg Whyte OBE, accompanied Jo Brand on her ‘Hell of a Walk’.
Comedian Jo finished her 150-mile walk from Humberside to Liverpool with Greg's expert guidance throughout the walk, as well as receiving training from the professor beforehand.
On her journey, Jo, a former psychiatric nurse, was keen to highlight the work Sport Relief does around mental health and issues which affect women and girls across the UK and in the world’s poorest communities.
LJMU Honorary Fellow John Bishop, who himself recently completed a Sport Relief challenge and was also trained by Professor Whyte, greeted Jo on her arrival at the Pier Head. Jo commented that she was ‘shattered’ but motivated by supporting a charity she truly believes in.
Professor Whyte is well known for his comic relief projects having trained and coached a number of celebrities in the completion of arduous sporting tasks including fellow Olympian James Cracknell’s run, cycle and swim to Africa, comedian Eddie Izzard’s challenge to run 43 Marathons in 51 days, David Walliams in the Big Splash Challenge, John Bishop's triathlon from Paris to London and Davina McCall’s gruelling 500-mile triathlon.
Through his work with Comic Relief, Professor Whyte has helped raise over £10million.
Greg is also Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science, has been named amongst the Top 10 Communicator Scientists in the UK by the Science Council and received an OBE in the 2014 New Year's Honours List.
The story was covered by national and regional media, including the Liverpool Echo and Daily Mail. A documentary about the challenge will be shown on BBC1 in March.
