Steve Rouse and Marisa Zoeller, who run Wroughton Bodybalance, joined campaigners from the National Rejoin March for the “Rejoin Ramble”.
The two-week walk began in Parliament Square on Saturday 23rd May and is due to arrive at the European Parliament in Brussels on 5 June. The event is being led by National Rejoin March founder Peter Corr.
For Mr Rouse and Ms Zoeller, the challenge is as much physical as it is political. Mr Rouse, who is originally from Swindon, has undergone a double hip replacement. Both dancers are also living with knees that have no cartilage following injuries sustained during their professional careers.
Despite this, they spent recent months training with 11kg rucksacks in preparation for the journey. At the end of the walk, the pair have been invited to perform choreography from their “Dance Europa!” project at a reception outside the EU Parliament.
Mr Rouse’s connection to the town spans decades. Before becoming a professional dancer, he worked at Swindon’s former railway works and first discovered dance at the Town Hall in 1978.
Ms Zoeller, who is originally from Germany, co-founded the campaign group Swindon for Europe nine years ago with local supporters. Together, they later created Dance Europa!, a project celebrating European culture and unity through performance.
The couple have previously performed at National Rejoin March events in London. In a first-hand account written after the 2022 march, Mr Rouse described performing in front of thousands despite ongoing health problems.
He wrote: “None of this is easy at 64 with a double hip replacement and history of knee surgery.”
The National Rejoin March was founded by Mr Corr, a former British Army serviceman who has spoken publicly about losing work opportunities as a lorry driver following Brexit.
The organisation campaigns for the UK to eventually rejoin the European Union. Organisers say this year’s Rejoin Ramble is intended as a symbolic act of reconnection, with a book of public messages set to be handed to representatives in Brussels.
This year’s march comes ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum next month. Campaigners are also planning a rally in London on 20th June.
Organisers claim polling shows around two-thirds of the British public would now support rejoining the EU under current global and economic conditions, although this has not been independently verified.
Participants will walk through Kent before crossing by ferry to Calais and continuing through France and Belgium. The group is expected to cover almost 20 miles per day.
For the Swindon pair, the journey represents both a personal and public challenge, combining endurance with a final performance on arrival in Brussels.
