FOUR Wokingham teenagers have been undertaking an epic quest, including climbing a mountain, to raise funds for The Stroke Association.
Friends George and Joseph Hemming, Dan Wakelin and Sam Timms have taken on a 170-mile trek from Swansea to the top of Mount Snowdon.
Starting their journey on Saturday, June 12, the group is set to complete their trek by the end of the week.
The quartet have a personal reason for taking part: Dan, who is an ambassador for The Stroke Association, had one when he was 12.
Now, he is hoping to raise more awareness for young stroke survivors who have experienced the same as him.
Jaime Hemming, mother of twins George and Joseph, said she is “immensely proud” of the boys’ dedication to their walk.
She added: “They’ve all really proved themselves as capable young men, they set off on their own with no help at all and they’re just getting on with it and are on track with it all.”
Having raised more than £2,000 so far, the group are hoping to raise even more for the charity.
“The boys check their phones each day to see how much they’ve raised, it’s a huge thing for them and seeing the money go up just keeps encouraging them to keep going until the very end,” Jaime said
They trained twice a month to practice setting up camp in preparation for the challenge.
Having struggled with the heat on the first day, the team managed to stay on track with their hike completing 15 miles every day.
The boys packed just four T-shirts, a medical kit, a camping roll mat, socks and ration packs for emergencies.
They have each been living off just £7 a day for food and drink.
Sleeping in a farmers field one night and a community village hall green another, the group have mainly spent their nights in woodland areas.
Rebecca Broad, fundraiser at The Stroke Association, said: “A stroke can happen to anyone at any time and it turns lives upside down, however, with the support of people like Dan and his friends, we can help more stroke survivors and their families as they look to rebuild their lives.
“Their enthusiasm for the challenge was a real inspiration and we would like to say a huge thank you to the team, not only for their fundraising efforts, but their passion to raise awareness of stroke.”
To donate, log on to gofund.me/cf43f6f5
