Chiefs Women to complete 24-hour walk to support former teammate

Exeter Chiefs Women will take it turns to complete a 24-hour walk to show their support for former teammate Laura Sheehan.

The winger was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year from which she developed an autoimmune condition affecting her sight and mobility.

Irish international Sheehan is still in hospital in Dublin receiving cancer treatment and tackling an intensive rehabilitation programme to help her recovery.

The Chiefs Women decided they wanted to show their support by taking on a 24-hour walk challenge alongside Exmouth beach. The players will walk in small groups, which means many will do multiple slots and will walk late at night and very early in the morning.

Chiefs lock and former housemate of Sheehan, Linde van der Velden said: “Laura was part of the club for three years and because of her dedication to the team, we feel a deep responsibility to show her that the Chiefs family supports her now.

“One of her major rehabilitation goals is to walk along Exmouth Beach again, so that’s what we are going to do on her behalf to raise awareness of this condition and to raise some money along the way.”

The walk will take place between noon on Friday, 19 June, and noon on Saturday, 20 June. It will raise money for the PWR’s official charity, Breast Cancer Now, via a JustGiving page while the players will also collect any loose change while on the walk for the Donald Gutherie Foundation to support clinical research and medical education.

A second concurrent 24-hour walk will also take place in Sandymount, Dublin, involving players from Sheehan’s current club, Railway Union RFC.

Van der Velden added: “Current and former players and staff will take it in turns to complete one-hour shifts along the promenade at Exmouth beach. We would love supporters to join us too by signing up for allotted time slots.”

The final hour of the walk will be taken on by the players alone as they begin the 11am slot to celebrate Sheehan’s shirt number.

Supporters can sign up for time slots here or any donations to BCN can be made here.