By Victoria Stone-Meadows
IN a triumphant return to his mum’s house in Cranbourne, local legend Jake Ward has completed a marathon fund-raiser for breast cancer research.
Mr Ward ran a total of 1500 kilometres over a month starting at the Gold Coast and ending in his hometown of Cranbourne.
Family, friends and supporters from all over gathered to cheer him along the last leg of his journey along Cherryhills Drive on Wednesday 30 November.
Upon his long awaited arrival home, Mr Ward was swamped with grateful family and he addressed the assembled crowd in his signature cheerful way.
“I am blown away by how many people have turned up – but not one of you has offered me a beer,” he said.
“It has been about 35 degrees every day, I had a pair of shoes melt which was bit of fun.
“It was really hot long days but the local communities along the way were fantastic, but it has been a long 30 days and I’m not going to try to act tough, I could have cried a couple of times.”
Mr Ward said even though the run was really tough he really enjoyed the journey and couldn’t thank those who supported him enough.
“It was long, it was hard but it was worth it,” he said.
“I really enjoyed every moment and didn’t think this many people were going to turn up and for one of the first times in my life I’m a bit speechless.”
As if the day couldn’t become more exciting, half way through his speech, Mr Ward announced he had bought a present for his partner Jess Brown.
It was then in front of the assembled crowd that Mr Ward bent onto one of his shaking and weary knees to ask for Jess’s hand in marriage.
Miss Brown responded with an enthusiastic yes as the crowd cheered and congratulated the couple.
Mr Ward thanked all the people who had supported his cause along the way by donating to the National Breast Cancer Foundation and keeping him supported through his journey.
He thanked his partner Jess for organising the accommodation along the way, his family members for visiting his during his journey, Jess’s father for the donations and fund-raising and other community businesses and organisations that helped him raise money.
There was one person in particular Mr Ward felt deserved a special mention and that was his mate and support car driver Luke ‘Twiggy’ Balcombe.
“I have got to thank Twiggy,” Mr Ward said.
“I’m forever grateful for what Twiggy has done and we called him the silent partner because he doesn’t like being noticed.
“Without him it couldn’t have been done, he kept me safe on the road and kept me from magpies and snakes, he would get out of the car and launch rocks, he was amazing.
I was frustrating him the whole time but the guy just kept going and he never gave up on me.
“He was even more than happy to drink beers along the way for me when I couldn’t, that’s a real great friend and I cannot speak more highly of him.”
Jess said she was so proud of her partner and was feeling so many emotions after his arrival home and the surprise proposal.
“I’m feeling amazing for more than one reason,” she said.
“I wouldn’t never have guessed in a million years he would do that; I thought that today is his day and should have been all about him at the finish line but trust Jake, modest Jake.
“I’m so proud of him I have been crying for last hour for a mixture of emotions. I missed him more than I knew possible.”
Mr Ward’s mum Christine Ward said she knew her son would make it to the finish line of his epic journey no matter what.
“I know what’s he’s like, he would crawl if he had to,” she said.
“I’ve been so worried about him and he is such a great guy and does everything for others.”
Over the course of his run from Queensland to Victoria, Mr Ward raised $47,500 for breast cancer research.
