When a #walk1000miles challenger is forced out of action, it just amplifies their thirst for the great outdoors. In the coming months, we’ll follow the progress of these determined fighters...
“I can’t wait to be back in the hills”
I used to walk about 30 miles a week, but I had a revision knee replacement in April and I’m now on full weight-bearing crutches. I’m doing daily physio exercises and reading Country Walking, planning my recovery walks. I’ve been told it’ll take at least 12 months to recover. Walking will be my main recovery focus, and I’ll probably treat myself to bits of walking kit as incentives. I can’t wait to be back in the hills – my happy place – and I’d like to make a start on finishing off the 49 Wainwrights I’ve got left.
Jane Willmott, 49, Somerset
“I hope to go to all the places I’d planned before the accident”
I was training for a 26-mile walk in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support in May, but managed to slip in a muddy field and break my ankle. It has taken 11 weeks to get to the point of being able to walk with no orthopaedic boot. I’m still using crutches but starting to increase my distance little by little. I write a daily limerick (this started before the accident), which I post onto the #walk1000miles Facebook page, and these have become a bit of a story of my journey.
Not being able to go out walking has been incredibly difficult as it’s a massive part of my life. Ultimately, I hope to walk for miles and go to all the places I’d planned.
Susanne Simkins, 51, Leicestershire
“I dream of overnight hikes”
I took antibiotics to cure an infection in March, but doing this induced tendonitis and nerve pain everywhere… yes, everywhere! I was hobbling for the first two weeks – my legs were so weak and uncomfortable. It typically takes six months to recover. Tendon rupture is the big risk in the early months, so I have enforced rest for two months. Then, pain and discomfort permitting, I’ll start doing very short walks and build up. I dream of doing massive overnight hikes and wild camping weekends.
Nik Beard, 47, Devon
“My ultimate goal is to complete my 1000 miles”
I had a total knee replacement in April and after 19 days I felt stable enough not to need crutches. I’ve been told I should be almost at full fitness after three months, but my goal is to get out walking as soon as I’m fit enough, while my ultimate goal is to complete 1000 miles. I can't wait to get back to my favourite nearby route – Seaford to Eastbourne via the Seven Sisters. And maybe a mountain again late this year or early next – hopefully Snowdon.
Don Lane, 64, Kent
“I want to get back to my December fitness”
My asthma was bad in the winter, then I got a chest infection, which made the asthma worse. Then I got Covid and things got a lot worse. I’m now recovering very slowly, managing about a mile on the flat most days. Last year I completed 1000 boots-on miles and I want to get back to the level of fitness I had in December. If I manage 1000 miles, that’s a bonus!
Liz Atkins, 62, Sheffield
Sally-Ann (right).
“My big retirement plan is a lot more walking”
I’m suffering post-Covid fatigue and I’m being assessed for Long Covid. I can do very little before becoming exhausted, experiencing debilitating headaches and feeling nauseous. This was the year I had pledged to myself that I would walk 1000 miles – I’m now miles behind. But the lovely #walk1000miles group has helped me so much. I’ve got to know other members, enjoy their beautiful photos and vicariously go on their walks with them. So far, I’ve managed to do a daily one-mile walk, and hope to build that up. My big plan for my retirement is a lot more walking. I so hope to be able to do that – I’ll be devastated if not. Being out in nature is vital to my mental health – it’s my happy place. I live on the edge of the Peak District and I dream of getting back out there, climbing those hills and soaking up the glorious scenery.
Sally-Ann Fox, 60, Derbyshire
