Best friends and work colleagues Julia Rennie and Julie Rogers have raised £50,000 and walked thousands of miles as part of the Walk The Walk breast cancer campaign.

Julia (42) and Julie (33) have strong personal reasons for supporting the charity. Julia lost her mum due to breast cancer and Julie's mum was also diagnosed with the disease in 2006.

As power-walking partners Julia and Julie - who proudly call themselves The Bra Girls - have been involved in nearly 100 Walk The Walk events, including completing ten marathons in just one year! Their next will be the London MoonWalk on May 11.

Julia, who is the proprietor of Puddleducks Nursery in Raglan, said: "As well as the London MoonWalk - which will be our 12th MoonWalk - we've also enrolled for the Walk The Walk London to Brighton ultra challenge on May 25 and 26, which means covering 66 miles in 24 hours."

Julia has two children, Nadine 21 and Charlie 15. Julie, who is the Puddleducks nursery manager, also has two children - Elliot aged 13 and Minnie, aged seven.

"Julie came to work for me in 2000," Julia explained. "I decided to do my first London Moonwalk marathon that year, to put something back to the charity - and I dragged Julie and some other friends along.

"By the end I was crying my eyes out. I had huge blisters and I was exhausted, cold and shaking. I said I'd never do it again - but, of course, a year later things looked different.

"During the first Moonwalk my sister and I had split up and I'd reached the finish on my own. I realised from that experience how important it was to have a walking partner.

"Julie and I have been walking together ever since. She's great because she's the one who says 'Yes, you can' when you're thinking you can't go on.

"Two years ago we did ten marathons in a year to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

"Julie designs different bras for us for each occasion - a bunch of grapes for Paris, a Royal bra to meet Prince Charles, a birthday cake for one of Julie's birthdays. 

"We've set out to take on a different challenge each year. We've done the Nijmegen March in Holland - which involves a full marathon distance on each of four days. We've also done marathons in Florida, Boston, Paris and Berlin.

"In the future, we'd love to go to Seattle where the first Starbucks was set up!

"Walk The Walk is also doing an Arctic marathon in Lapland at the beginning of next year which sounds great - but involves skiing!

"Our families and friends are really supportive. We couldn't do it without them.

"We're very passionate about the charity. They really make a difference.

"It's also given us, as busy mums, something to do just for ourselves. It's quite therapeutic. We talk about all kinds of things both in training and during the walks.

"We've met some really interesting people too and made lots of new friends - and, of course, it keeps us fit and healthy."

The pair train three or four times a week around Raglan and Tregare and have become so proficient at power-walking they've been known at events to actually lap some of the runners!

About Walk The Walk

Walk The Walk has raised in excess of £82 million since it launched 17 years ago, with funds being granted to support research into breast cancer and to provide emotional and physical support for those living with cancer now.

The charity encourages supporters to appreciate that even small lifestyle changes, for example, a better diet and increased exercise, can make a big impact when it comes to preventing this terrible disease.

Walk The Walk organises The MoonWalk London (May 11), The MoonWalk Edinburgh (June 8) and The SunWalk London (June 30), as well as coordinating teams of women all over the world to Power Walk marathons in their bras in Peru, the Arctic, Paris and Berlin.

"It's a great thing to do with your friends - even if it's only once," said Julia.

For more information on the charity and all the above events, go to http://www.walkthewalk.org ">www.walkthewalk.org ;