Davina McCall
Dear Viewers,
This is her story.
TV presenter Davina McCall has
completed her gruelling 500-mile Sport Relief challenge, after seven days of
physical endurance.
McCall, 46, ran a full marathon on Friday to reach her goal, outside London's
Tate Modern.
Preparing for the run at the start of the day, she once again broke down in
tears, telling BBC Breakfast: "I don't think I have ever cried this much."
Some of the donations will help people in areas affected by floods, Sport
Relief confirmed on Friday.
Her husband, Matthew Robertson, drove alongside with their three children,
shouting encouragement on the way to the finish line.
McCall was given encouragement by friend and comedian
Jo Brand as she set off for London
She appeared on BBC Radio 1 around the 17-mile mark, where DJ Scott Mills
asked how she had kept her mind off the pain.
"Sometimes I just can't take my mind off it, it's felt all-encompassing," she
replied.
"I've had to literally talk to myself. I've gone to very dark places where I
literally don't want to do it anymore, and I've been annoyed with myself and
I've been angry."
"But I just know I'm going to finish it," she added, as her voice
cracked.
She began the final stretch of her journey at Windsor
Castle
Chris Moyles was among the celebrity friends who
turned up to support McCall on the home leg
She crossed the finish line at 16:15
Celebrating the end of her ordeal, the Million Pound Drop presenter said: "I
can't believe it was me! Thank you to anybody that's donated, that's why I did
it.
"My kids - I just hugged them, it was amazing! I've just got to stop
crying!
"This challenge was for Sport Relief, it was for women and children living
really hard lives, not just here but all over the world. It was a really
important cause for me to be able to help other women."
McCall requires physiotherapy and thousands of
calories - often at the same time
McCall has covered 500 miles over the last seven
days
McCall endured gale force winds, driving rain and even snow on her journey
from Edinburgh to London.
The public was won over by her resilience, with TV viewers seeing her sobbing
and barely able to enter the water during a 1.5-mile (2.4km) swim across
Windermere on Monday morning.
By the time she reached the far side, her body was limp and she had to be
carried from the water.
Fighting exhaustion and the bitter cold, she then had to get back in the
saddle for a further 65-mile cycle to Accrington.
Across the week, she has struggled to take in enough nutrition after losing
her appetite, despite needing 8,000 calories a day to tackle the challenge.
The presenter cycled 77 miles on Thursday
Comic John Bishop did back-to-back marathon distance runs from Paris to
London and was in great pain amid worries about stress fractures.
This year's Sport Relief takes place from 21-23 March.
