A BURGHFIELD resident has pledged to notch up 20 walking marathons in as many days to raise money for charity in July.
Dale Thomas, 64, invites others to join him for as much or as little of the journey as they wish, to raise funds for their own chosen organisations.
He will walk from Scotland to Wokingham in support of the Ollie Young Foundation.
The charity was set up by the parents of Ollie, a youngster who died the day before his sixth birthday of an incurable brain tumour.
It funds research into the causes and treatment of brain tumours in children.
Burghfield resident, Mr Thomas, decided to support the foundation after hearing Ollie’s story.
“I’d been doing charity fundraising events for other organisations for around 15 years,” he said.
“But when I heard about Ollie, I decided to focus all my efforts on this foundation.
“It’s such a heartbreaking story, and it’s something that could happen to any child, in any family.
Mr Thomas begins his marathon walk in Inverness.
He is undaunted by the idea of walking around 500 miles, and clocks up around 35,000 to 40,000 steps a day when training.
“I used to take part in ultra marathons,” he said.
These involve distances of 250 kilometers covered in five days.
“I ran in the Sahara Desert, the Namibian Desert, and the Amazon.
“But then I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020.
“It’s all good now, I was treated and it was dealt with, but because it had spread to my spine, my running days were over.
“So I asked, ‘can I still ride a bike?’ and ‘can I still walk as much as I want?’
“When the doctor said both of these were fine, in 2021 I bought a cycle and completed a John O’Groats to Lands End ride.”
There is no stopping him.
“When life throws you a curveball, you just have to do something else,” he said.
The following year he completed The Three Peaks Challenge, followed by a walk home from Snowdon.
He is now excited to be preparing for his next adventure, and keen to encourage others to join him.
“I’m walking for Ollie, but I’m throwing this event open to others to walk for charities that they are passionate about.
“People can literally just turn up and join me, there’s no need to register.
“They can walk for as long or as little as they like.
“Just check the schedule, find out where I am, and come along.”
Much of the journey will follow canal paths, avoiding dangerous roads.
“My planning team includes three friends: Peter Dudman, who will be driving the camper van; Alan Francis, who will walk eight days with me; and my fitness trainer for thirteen years, Rich Jones,” said Mr Thomas.
People can chart the walk each day by following Mr Thomas’s progress on the charity website.
He will be writing a daily blog, posting photographs, and giving What3words location aids.
“I’ll be three days on the Loch Ness Path, then cross country to Edinburgh, though Lancaster and Preston, skirting Manchester, through the Midlands, and on to Oxford,” he explained.
“Then it’s onwards to Brecon in Wales, Newport, Bath, Devises, Newbury, and finally Wokingham.”
The aim is to arrive in Wokingham in time to join the Ollie Young Foundation Summer Fun Day in Reddam House grounds.
“It’s a little bit uncertain, because some of the canal paths aren’t well maintained, and I may have to make a few detours,” he said.
“But it’s going to be a real adventure, and the canal communities I meet are the kindest people.
“They take photographs, they find out what I’m up to, they listen, they help me when I need it, and they support the charity by donating on the website.”
The 20 marathons in 20 days walking event starts on Tuesday, July 25, and ends on Sunday, August 13, at Reddam House grounds.
for more information email: dale@wwo23.org
To support Dale Thomas’s fundraising page, and for details of the walk, visit: www.wwo23.org
