“Everybody tried to place me off at first – individuals simply did not consider I might really do it,” Cox says.
However on 26 October final 12 months, she set off from the Attari-Wagah border between Pakistan and India, certain for Kolkata, just some miles from the place her father Deric was born.
She stayed true to the route, which meant there have been generally days when she ran 42km alongside a freeway “which was boring as hell” however different days have been via nature reserves, alongside canals and thru farmers’ fields.
There have been cows, snakes and goats within the highway, whereas drivers repeatedly travelled on the incorrect aspect of the highways. Some have been busy roads and he or she has a scar on her proper leg from a collision with a bike whereas she was operating.
She even wanted a police escort at occasions as a result of she was going via areas recognized for normal deadly tiger assaults.
It was usually scorching, dusty and smoggy and regardless that she had spent two weeks beforehand doing periods in a warmth chamber to acclimatise, it was in contrast to something she had ever skilled.
After which there was the illness, which performed a big half in her dropping greater than 10kg throughout the problem.
One such episode additionally coincided with one of many extra surreal probability encounters.
“It was day 24 and we met Richard Branson on the Taj Mahal,” she says.
“He was on the market to host a charity biking occasion and we have been strolling around the Taj and I used to be simply feeling worse and worse.
“The night earlier than, he had invited me for dinner at a extremely costly resort. I had one sniff of an Previous Common cocktail and I used to be like: “oh my god, I’ll be sick”.
“I needed to run to those actually fancy bogs and I used to be sick in all places.
“The following day, I wanted to run a marathon and 5 of the individuals who have been a part of Richard Branson’s charity occasion determined they have been going to run with me. I used to be sick all day that day by the aspect of the highway however I simply knew I needed to end.”
