Former Everton midfielder Jill Scott MBE is set for a dramatic return to Merseyside next week as part of a gruelling 388-mile charity duathlon for Sport Relief.
Jill will journey from Wembley Stadium in an extraordinary five-day duathlon that will see her cycle and run a total of 388 miles, visiting every club she played for and finishing at The Stadium of Light in her hometown of Sunderland.
The former Women’s England midfielder, who had two spells with Everton between 2006-2013 and again in 2021, will travel through Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester before finishing in the North East.
She is scheduled to arrive at Everton’s waterfront stadium in the immediate build-up to the Lionesses’ World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Tuesday 9 June (KO 8pm BST), where a special welcome is planned on the Western Wharf as fans begin arriving at the stadium to welcome the team coaches.
Tickets for the fixture can still be purchased here.
Jill’s five-day duathlon is about giving back to the communities which give people a sense of belonging, confidence and support when they need it most.
Every mile raises money for Sport Relief–funded projects which use sport to help provide safety, support and security for people when they need it most.
Jill Scott’s Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief is about helping more people find a place they can call home.
Pushing the Limits for Sport Relief
The I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here winner spins into action on Monday, June 8, with an intense 112-mile cycle to Villa Park from Wembley, four years after helping to bring football home with England’s historic Euros victory.
Day two brings a punishing 99-mile ride from the Midlands to Hill Dickinson Stadium and, on the third day, Jill swaps her bike for running shoes to tackle a gruelling 38-mile ultramarathon into Manchester.
The fourth day, next Thursday, raises the stakes with a brutal, Tour de France-style 111-mile cycling stage into the North-East, before a homecoming on Friday, June 12, with Jill set to triumphantly cross the finish line at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light following a 28-mile marathon finale.
Jill, who earned 161 England caps, said: “Honestly, my time at Everton holds such fond memories and it just beings a big smile to my face.
“I haven’t actually been to Hill Dickinson Stadium yet, so I’m really excited to go and visit it.
“This challenge means so much to me because my journey started long before my days at Wembley.
“It started with people believing in me, supporting me and giving me opportunities when I needed them most.
“One thing football taught me is that you never get through difficult moments alone.
“When things get tough, it’s the people around you who carry you through, and that’s exactly what this challenge is about.”
Swapping Football Boots for Running Shoes on a Relentless Home Run
Jill continued:
“I honestly think this is going to push me further than anything I ever did in football, and it’s nerve-wracking when I look at some of these distances, running marathons and cycling hundreds of miles back-to-back.
“Just like throughout my career, I know I’m going to need a community behind me. If people can donate and cheer me on, we can do something much bigger than just getting me across a finish line.
“Together with Sport Relief, we can help people through the toughest times, and show everyone that no matter how hard things get, no one has to face it alone.”
Jill Scott’s Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief can be tracked on Comic Relief’s website.
To make a donation, visit here.
