From moss to missing pieces, confidence to komorebi: there’s nothing like a walk to open your eyes, and walking 1000 miles is a wonderful platform from which to make discoveries of every surprising kind. What might you discover?
‘The missing piece’
‘A few years ago I couldn’t go outside my front door – stuck in a rut, no motivation. I was looking for something and not sure what. Then I discovered #walk1000miles and it’s probably the next best thing to my children and husband. It has taught me to love the simple things, to be confident and that I don’t need to rely on anyone except my feet. I’m forever grateful!’ – Karen Adamson
‘I'm so much more capable than I thought’
‘I just walked the West Highland Way alone in my 50s. I've wanted to do it for years, and solo so I could walk at my slow pace and know that I could do it alone. Getting out as much as possible in the last five years that I’ve been part of #walk1000miles has been invaluable in building confidence and fitness – and that got me through, plus the amazing support of other walkers. What a community we are! Now I’m planning to do The Great Glen Way.’ – Debbie Harley
‘I like my own company’
‘Before I discovered #walk1000miles I’d been made redundant and had got in the habit of just doing nothing. I decided to give it a go, and walking became something I did every day – mostly local but sometimes further afield. My mental health improved, my fitness, and I discovered I quite like my own company, I love to be outside – and expensive overseas holidays aren’t necessary, when you realise just how beautiful the UK is!’ – Jayne Barker
‘I can do that thing’
‘And how awful my map reading skills were! Thank goodness for half price OS Maps I get with my CW subscription, it’s saved us getting completely lost so many times. That and I’m stronger and more capable than I thought, I CAN do that mountain or long distance walk, I just take a little longer. That’s all due to the fabulous #walk1000miles Facebook community, we always have faith in each other’. – Jane Phillips
‘It’s a great leveller’
‘I've discovered walking is a complete leveller – doesn't matter where you're from, what you have, where you've been, how successful, rich, poor, healthy, what you believe… whatever you are about, walking is our common ground.’ – Wayne Turner
‘The new me’
‘I’ve discovered how beneficial the challenge is to my mental health. I started following an incredibly low period. The time alone really helped my thoughts process. The past year has been a rollercoaster but walking has been my escape – the sounds of nature, the colours around me, friendly hellos and the rather funny mishaps. Walking has become part of my identity.’ – Stacey Gee
‘The power of the walking habit’
‘That nothing works better for my health and wellbeing, yet how hard my mind will try to convince me at time this isn’t so! The power of #walk1000miles for me has been daily walking is now deeply ingrained habit which helps me to get out there even when my mood really wants me to stay home, stay still, stay sad. Some days the mood wins, but they’re rare and that’s ok. I just call them rest days and move on.’ – Rachel Kirk
‘Calm, happiness… moss!’
‘That I need to walk every day so I can feel calm and happy. That and a love of moss. It's so beautiful! Even in winter when there seems to be nothing growing, all of a sudden you spy nature's green jewel, growing on a wall, tree stump or rock – squishy, spongy and almost like a tiny world.’ – Katrina Scott
‘The most important path’
‘The most important path is the one made by walking. It’s the great physical act that puts us back together with ourselves and to the world.’ – Dr Peter Davies
Cuttlefish!
‘Discovering Cuttlefish eggs on my walks in West Sussex has ignited my joy of learning about marine life. They’re fascinating! They have three hearts and change colour and have strong visual recall. If the eggs which wash ashore aren't returned to the oxygenated sea water they die pretty quickly. I love doing it.’ – Wendy Fry
Komorebi
‘I learnt this Japanese word from a fellow badger. It has no direct translation but the three parts to the word literally describe it. Tree leaks sunlight.’ – Mark Shore
‘How long have you got?’
‘On my first walk I could just about tell grass from tree, now I can't bear not knowing something, whether it's a type of tree, why this crop has been planted, what that animal footprint is, anything and everything. As soon as I get home I'm checking websites and reference books. Walking has made me realise there’s still so much to discover that I think I'm going to keep doing it until I know everything!’ – Denni Morrison
‘Walking is the BEST medicine’
‘Since my husband got diagnosed with cancer two years ago walking has helped our fitness and mental and physical health. It’s made my husband determined to beat his cancer, and push himself to get through his treatments as quickly as he could, so he could get back out there walking again.
We've both feel much better for being out in the fresh air, AND we've discovered new hobbies, birdwatching and photography!’ – Sarah Deeley
‘Faith in human nature’
‘Everyone has a story! I meet all sorts on my walking adventures and am always fascinated. If you delve deep enough you can almost always find a common point of reference too and coincidences abound. It’s restored my faith in the basic goodness of human nature. I also met a naked hiker!’ – Trisha Cressey
‘I’ve got more miles in me’
I've discovered that having a knee replacement, is the best decision I've made in a long while, and #walk1000miles has spurred me on to get the best use out of it – including getting it up Snowdon for its first birthday. It was a revelation – pain free both up, and more surprisingly down. And it feels like it still gets a little better each month. – Don Lane
Simplicity
‘I’ve discovered I love the simple life, I don’t need as many material things, and most importantly increased self belief: I can do more than I think I can.’ – Anne Goodridge
That sound
Psithurism: I come from a place that isn't windy except in winter when trees are bare. I find I absolutely love the sound of the wind in the trees – Liesl Van Niekerk
