Steve Godden’s arthritic ankle was so painful he wanted to get his leg amputated. But since taking up the #walk1000miles challenge, the 64-year-old from East Sussex has achieved the unimaginable.
I had to take early retirement in 2012 due to chronic ankle pain from arthritis which developed as a result of a motorcycle accident when I was 18. After retirement, my ankle became less mobile and gradually the pain built up until I was hardly able to walk anywhere.
At the end of 2019 I was in so much pain that I decided to seek out a surgeon to have my lower leg amputated. It seemed this would be the quickest and most straightforward option to provide a good quality of life. But after much thought I decided to give things one last try, and took up yoga and started to do some walking.
The journey hasn’t been smooth. I still suffer enormous amounts of pain. But yoga has benefitted my whole outlook on life and helped me to cope with the pain, while walking has strengthened my ankle – I’m now able to walk on it like I couldn’t have believed possible just 18 months ago.
I recently completed a 12.7-mile walk. That’s by far the most I’ve walked in years, and shows to what extent my ankle has improved. A high point of my walking so far was on a trip to Dartmoor which included a climb up Great Nodden (1430 ft).
#walk1000miles spurs me on even when my spirits are low. It has become a large part of my life, especially reading the inspiring stories from other members. It makes me feel like part of a big encouraging family.
To those in a similar situation to me – try to find a way to manage the pain and to keep on walking. It will make a tremendous difference in the long run. I didn't think it was possible to get to where I am today – I’m loving my life!
