Walkley needs your help for the epic 4,000km in Seven Days For Childhood Crohn's Disease Zwift ride.
On February 17, 2024, John Walkley will attempt to ride 4,000km on Zwift in just seven days. If all goes well, Walkley estimates it will take 16-18 hours of constant pedaling, and he will burn over 12,000 calories daily. That’s an average pace of almost 35kph for the Team Vegan Zwift A Cat rider.
It didn’t always go well the last time he tried. Yes, there was a last time.
Walkley managed a single Zwift activity of 2,829km and a total distance of 3,334km over seven days during his previous attempt, culminating on January 3, 2023.
He fueled his ride with porridge, fresh fruits, and a mix of carbs like potatoes, rice, and oats. He relied on nut butter (peanut, almond, and hazelnut), beans, lentils, tempeh, and tofu for protein.
The vegan consumed approximately 65-70,000 calories during the ride. Walkley’s post-ride weight was 76kg, slightly below his pre-ride weight of 77kg, but dropped to 73 during the 10-day recovery period.
Overcoming Challenges
Walkley overcame scrapes and bruises after fainting during a hypoglycemic episode, a severe flair-up of both of his Achilles tendons, friction burns on his arms, sores in his mouth from constant fueling, and weakness in his wrists that required taping with boxer’s bandages to hold him up.
His legs became so painful after the first day of riding that despite help from his wife, Johanna, to tape them for support, he still couldn’t stand, needing to crawl to his bike. The bruises and swelling made it almost impossible to pedal.
He was about to give up when Johanna suggested that he reach out to the local community for assistance. A physio from the area came to his rescue to massage and tape his legs. It made all the difference he needed to press on after the setbacks he faced on day one. That and a renewed focus on his inspiration for the epic undertaking.
The Why is His Son
“The thing that got me started was that I wanted to show my son, Edison, that no matter how big the challenge or how long the odds, you need to keep going,” Walkley explained to Chris Ovenden during a February 2023 interview for ZwiftInsider.
He is tackling the epic undertaking a second time to raise money for CICRA, a UK charity, leading research and support for Children living with Crohn’s and Colitis.
Doctors diagnosed Walkley’s son Edison with Crohn’s disease at the age of 11. CICRA (Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association) provided invaluable support to their family. They helped them understand the illness, navigate treatment options, and offer essential resources to assist Edison’s return to school after extended hospitalization and home care periods.
The Devastating Effect of Childhood Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease has no cure, making it particularly challenging for children like Edison to manage and live with. It took 18 months of trial and error to identify the right medical treatments to control his illness. Since September, Edison has returned to school, forging friendships and striving for success. His remarkable courage, determination, and grit continue to inspire his family and friends—especially his father.
John will try to follow his son’s example and attempt the seemingly impossible. Make no mistake, this will be mentally and physically tough. He must dig deep to find the courage and determination to keep going for seven days, for 4,000km. The UK father of two also suffers the ill effects of Crohn’s disease and needs your support to help him achieve the epic feat.
He will be riding solo, with pace partners, and with friends. He appreciates support at all levels, whether it involves joining him during the ride or simply sending messages. This challenge encompasses mental and physical obstacles, so having people participate, whether as leaders, drafting partners, or just nearby, is essential to keep Walkley upbeat.
“Seeing fellow Zwifters joining in and chatting is even more crucial than providing a draft,” he admits, “it’s like fuel for the soul seeing people having fun!”
The 4,000km in Seven Days For Childhood Crohn's Disease Plan
- John will begin the day between 4 am and 5 am GMT on Watopia’s Tempus Fugit route.
- He’ll ride until 700km or midnight GMT, whichever comes first.
- No riding between 12 am and 4 am GMT.
- Regular breaks, likely every 3-5 hours.
- He’s highlighted known brick walls and will work through them, but support here will be extra helpful!
- The KMs will drop as the week progresses, and breaks may become more frequent.
How to Help Walkley Reach 4,000km in Seven Days For Childhood Crohn's Disease
- If you would like to donate or find out more about CICRA, visit Crohn’s In Childhood Research Association (justgiving.com)
- Join in on Zwift by simply following “John Walkley [VeAthlete]” and teleport to him. Whether you’re providing a draft, jumping on his wheel, or just messaging words of encouragement, it helps!
- John will be streaming live at youtube.com/@veathlete. Subscribe for updates and spread the word!
- Join Discord at https://discord.gg/VFnpjzFaE2 if you want to share anecdotes of your support experience, including photos and text.
“There’s no such thing as a solo effort on Zwift,” acknowledges Walkley from experience.
As the week progresses, John may become less aware of his surroundings, but he’s eager to acknowledge everyone after the event. He found that reliving people’s memories of their experiences aided in his mental recovery last year.
“These challenges take a lot of grit and determination, a little cake, but mostly importantly,” he emphasizes, “friends.”
He would like to thank everyone in advance.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
