A Catterick nurse and military veteran is taking on 25 mystery challenges in 25 days to raise funds for the Ruth Strauss Foundation — a charity she says more people need to know about.
Liana France, 39, who served in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps before leaving the military two years ago, began fundraising for the foundation after two close friends and serving officers were diagnosed with cancer.
One friend is living with stage four lung cancer, while another, Nicola, tragically died following a short battle with cervical cancer in July.
“When I got my ballot place for the London Marathon last year, I asked Charlie — my friend with lung cancer — which charity I should run for,” Liana said.
“She pointed me towards the Ruth Strauss Foundation, and that’s when I really learned what they do.”
Liana completed the London Marathon dressed as a pair of inflatable lungs, raising just under £5,000.
She says the charity allowed her to choose exactly where the money was spent — something she found “incredible”.
After discovering that the foundation supports any family facing the loss of a loved one to cancer, Liana decided to continue her fundraising efforts — and came up with the Big Red Advent Challenge.
From December 1 to 25, Liana is opening a daily “adventure calendar”, revealing a new challenge each morning. The twist? She has no idea what any of them will be.
“The Ruth Strauss Foundation organised all 25 challenges, and I’m completely in the dark,” she said.
“Some have been tame… some absolutely gruelling. Fitting them around everyday working life is a challenge on its own!”
Liana, who now works at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, has already completed a wide range of tasks, including:
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Day 11: Rocky Mountain Oysters (yes — bull’s testicles)
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Day 10: A 10km run
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Day 9: Eating bugs
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Day 8: No social media for a day
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Day 7: Blindfolded gingerbread house decorating
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Day 6: The Yorkshire Three Peaks
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Day 5: Paper mâché robin
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Day 4: Krypton Factor Level 5
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Day 3: Learn and post a TikTok dance
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Day 2: 5km run
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Day 1: 30 squats every hour for 13 hours
The Big Red Advent Challenge is already attracting strong support, and Liana is encouraging more people to follow the journey.
“I didn’t know much about RSF before last year, and it’s surprising how many others still haven’t heard about them,” she said. “They support families going through the worst moments of their lives — and that’s why I want to do everything I can.”
Supporters can follow her progress on Instagram at @LianaFr4nc3 and donate via her JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/bigredadventchallenge?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL
