Trying three-legged walking might not be high up on anyone’s list of new things to try, but as it was something I hadn’t done before, I jumped at the chance of giving it a go as one of my fifty-two new things in the year.
Here’s the unexpected three-legged walk I got to be part of, and some tips and recommendations if you want to try it too.
Trying Three-Legged Walking Was Something I Never Did As A Child
One of the things I love about my challenge of trying 52 new things in a year is that it gives me the chance to do things I never did as a child. Possibly because I had zero interest in doing it when I was smaller, or maybe because the opportunity never arose.
Trying three-legged walking is something I’m pretty certain I’d never done before.
It’s not the sort of thing that would have happened in recent memory, but if I cast my mind back to the school sports day, I distinctly remember participating in the sack race and the egg and spoon race, but I have absolutely no recollection of being bound to a partner at the ankles and attempting to coordinate our legs to move forwards.
It may be a little later than many people in life, but I was finally going to give it a go.
The BBC Children In Need Challenge 2025
BBC Children In Need began in 1980, and is the British Broadcasting Corporation’s UK charity which supports children and young people across the country.
November is a key month in the Children In Need calendar with a focus on fundraising, and an annual telethon recognising the impact of the charity and the incredible challenges people undertake to raise money.
BBC teams up and down the country regularly get involved in fundraising.
In 2025, 42 teams from BBC radio stations took on a challenge to collectively walk 1000 miles.
With around 25 miles per team, there was an added twist. They had to complete the distance three-legged. Yes, each step had to be taken as a pair, with one leg of each person strapped to the other.
The BBC Radio York Children In Need Challenge 2025
Two presenters from my local station, BBC Radio York, were taking on the challenge. Georgey Spanswick and Joanita Musisi would be walking laps of the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in York, over the 4th and 5th of November.
Every lap would see each presenter joined by a different walker – someone who they had previously interviewed or had an interesting local story or connection with the charity.
Earlier in the year I’d been into the studio for an interview with Joanita, and knowing that I like to try things I’ve never done before, I was invited to accompany her for an early morning lap on her second day.
Giving It A Go - Trying Three-Legged Walking
It was lovely to see Joanita again. She was as enthusiastic and positive as always, although admitted she was feeling the effects of the previous day.
Not only was there the walking aspect of the challenge, and the repetition of the same lap multiple times in the same direction, but she would have had to slightly adapt her walking style to accommodate each new walker she paired up with.
Slipping our feet into the elasticated band that attached us together, and with our arms comfortably wrapped around each other’s backs for support we were ready to go.
Georgey, too, was ready and partnered up with her companion for the lap. With a countdown from the crew, we were off.
The Lap
We’d agreed which leg to start with before we began, and after a couple of steps we settled into a good rhythm -which was much faster than I’d anticipated!
Despite walking through a retail emporium, there was no time for window shopping. Firstly, it was nice to catch up with Joanita, but then we did have some work to do along the way, as BBC Radio York was broadcasting from the event.
So whilst trying to maintain focus and rhythm with our feet, I was also interviewed along the way. Thankfully this didn’t go out live as I got more out of breath than I’d care to admit, but my words were edited and used during the programme.
Our laboured footsteps echoed through the empty walkways. It was 8.30 in the morning, and I was grateful it was too early for shoppers. Alongside everything else going on, I was paying close attention to how high I lifted my knee and how wide my stride was, trying to match everything to make it as easy as possible for Joanita. It was an added bonus that my mind didn’t also have to navigate any crowds.
There was a lot of laughter along the way: at how much more difficult it was to walk strapped to someone else than we’d imagined; at the ridiculous speed Georgey and her partner were walking; and at the brilliant challenge Joanita was undertaking.
Before I knew it, we were turning the corner and on the home straight back to the starting point.
It Wasn’t A Race, But There Was Some Friendly Competition!
At the countdown, Georgey was off! Obviously we set off too, but we just couldn’t quite keep up!
Almost catching up a couple of times, the gap just seemed to get bigger between us, despite using what we thought was a good technique and continually taking strong strides forwards.
We weren’t too far behind as we crossed the finish line to a round of applause – I think they may have had a height advantage which gave them their extra speed.
New Found Respect
Huge kudos to Georgey and Joanita who both completed 32 laps over the two days, which is no mean feat.
One three-legged lap of the York Designer Outlet had been fairly straightforward. It took a bit of focus and concentration, and had been a fantastic opportunity to spend some time with Joanita.
Completing multiple laps with different partners would have been more of a challenge than I’d considered, as I’m sure that without even realising it there would have been little adjustments to accommodate each new walker.
I Loved Trying Three-Legged Walking
Three-legged walking isn’t something I imagine I’ll be doing again any time soon, (never say never!) but I really enjoyed giving it a go.
I especially love that the first time I tried it was with such a brilliant person, and for such a great reason. It was wonderful to feel part of the community and to be raising money for an amazing cause.
Meeting all of the team behind the scenes at BBC Radio York who did an incredible job of making it all happen was fantastic too.
Trying three-legged walking reminded me why I set myself this madcap challenge to try new things in the first place — to say yes to new experiences, to community, and to moments I’d otherwise miss.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- Trying three-legged walking is incredibly easy. All you need is a willing partner, and some means of attaching yourself to each other.
- Why not make it a fundraising challenge too? Click here to find out more about BBC Children In Need.
Cost Of Experience
- Free!
Recommendations
- Don’t attach yourselves too tightly! You don’t want to cut off your circulation or make it too difficult to move.
- Agree your starting leg. Make sure you get off to a good start by agreeing which foot you’re going with first, before you take that first step.
- Find your rhythm. Take it easy as you get started and you’ll start to fall into a more natural flow.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Find somewhere safe and with few obstacles for your first attempts.
- Get creative. If you fancy trying three-legged walking, maybe do it somewhere unusual, or dressed up, or could you turn it into a bigger challenge? There are lots of ways you can turn this from an ordinary three-legged walk into something a little more unusual.