Last year photographer Hannah Hall Beddoe found the love of her life thanks to #walk1000miles. In September the story nearly ended in tragedy – but the year finished with a fairytale…
‘I’d set myself a personal challenge to walk 500 miles, when a friend told me about #walk1000miles. I signed up – and was talking about it when a client discovered we had a common interest. We kept in touch in lockdown and carried on walking once restrictions eased. While out doing a 10-mile walk – to pull a whole 1% in a day you understand – I had a horrible fall, which knocked something out of me, or into me, we haven’t decided which yet. He really pulled out his hero cape, and in the aftermath I realised we were more than just friends. And that was the start of our fairytale, until….
‘Rhys and I were involved in a hit-and-run on the M5 at the start of September, which in all honesty, we were lucky to survive. He managed to climb out of the car relatively unscathed, but I sustained injuries which required a week’s stay in hospital and three operations to reconstruct my arm.
Rhys & Hannah: from the deepest lows to the highest of highs.
‘My fitness took a serious crash while I was in hospital, to the point where I struggled walking up stairs. But we’d secretly planned to elope in October and with the help of the plastics team at Leicester Royal Infirmary we were still able to head up to the Lakes and get married. We had a tiny intimate ceremony at Hause Hall Farm near Ullswater. We’d planned to climb Hallin Fell for our portraits before the crash, but it wasn’t looking likely. But... we did it! Albeit very slowly! And despite the incredibly wet forecast, Mother Nature delivered the most glorious sunset of the year for us.
‘When I went back to hospital after the wedding, the nurses were totally blown away by how well I’d carried on healing and decided I didn’t need any more surgery. They also gave me the thumbs up to start exercising again – so I’ve thrown myself into #walk1000miles 2022!
‘There’s no question the challenge has changed my life forever. A new hobby, a safe space for my busy brain, an activity that I can share with my children, a new love that I didn’t see coming, and now A NEW HUSBAND! I’d recommend the challenge to anyone. I’ve never regretted going for a walk. And I honestly think walking is the solution for everything!’
Hannah and Rhys’ wedding portaits were taken atop Hallin Fell above Ullswater. It doesn’t get more #walk1000miles than that! Photo: Tiree Dawson
