Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
When Margo Oakley, now 59, met her older sister Julia’s boyfriend Mark Blythen, then aged 67, her initial reaction was far from positive. Describing him as “po-faced” and “judgey,” her impressions were shaped by his serious demeanor, which contrasted with her more carefree and lively nature. Mark, in turn, had little affection for Margo, finding her “loud and wild.” Despite this rocky start, more than four decades later, the two would come together in an unexpected way—as the first pair of in-laws to participate side-by-side in the BBC’s Race Across the World, a challenging competition that limits participants to travelling without phones, internet, or flights, and offers a £20,000 prize to the first team to cross the finish line.
The motivation for their joint participation was deeply personal. Both revealed to the BBC that their decision stemmed from fulfilling the “last wishes” of Mark’s late wife Julia, Margo’s sister, who passed away in 2022 after battling the rare blood cancer myelofibrosis. Mark and Julia’s story began years earlier when they met as students at Huddersfield Polytechnic, despite Julia initially dating one of Mark’s flatmates. Reflecting on their relationship, Mark humorously recalled, “She hit him over the head with a brolly and then about three weeks later I went out with her,” and both agreed that Julia was “out of my league.” After more than two decades together, they eventually married, with Mark describing Julia as “gregarious,” “funny,” and “everything I wanted in someone.”
Their early dynamic—with Mark’s reserved nature contrasting with the youthful exuberance of Margo and her friends when they met in Liverpool—led to a “fractious” relationship, as the pair admitted to occasional clashes over the years. Yet, the family bond was maintained largely by Julia, who was “the glue that held us together.” Margo never doubted Mark’s dedication, describing him as a “good husband” who was “very, very devoted” to Julia and who “put a lot of who he was aside just because he worshipped her so much.” This devotion became particularly clear during Julia’s illness, which involved an aggressive form of cancer and a stem-cell transplant. As Julia’s health declined, Mark found strength in Margo’s visits, as they brought joy and lifted Julia’s spirits during a difficult time.
As Julia’s illness progressed, Mark admitted to not fully realizing the toll that caregiving took on him, while Margo recognized how much support he needed. Julia had been clear about wanting their relationship to survive her passing, urging them to stay close posthumously. With no precedent to follow, Mark and Margo embarked on developing their bond in a new way—one that involved entering a rigorous adventure race together. Both noted Julia was a fan of Race Across the World, though she “would never have gone on it” herself. Margo described her motivation to apply as an instinctive call to adventure amid her responsibilities caring for her own mother in Liverpool. Their shared journey across Mongolia, marked by both “real highs and really big lows,” was described as “magical.” For Margo, the experience
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.