1000-milers Ian Alderman and eight-year-old daughter Eve are walking from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise awareness of autism – something they both have – and Ian says walking the trail is where they belong.
‘Autism comes with lots of preconceived ideas, assumptions and stereotypes, and we wanted to show everyone that it doesn’t prevent you from achieving great things. We want to give people the confidence to try things they might be too nervous or scared to do, and to be whoever they want to be.
‘Every person with autism is unique and it’s not fair or correct to assume everyone is the same simply because they have a diagnosis of ASD. We want to encourage people to be more open and understanding of people with autism. We may behave or act differently to others but that doesn’t mean we should be treated any differently. Within every autistic person is the need to feel accepted for who they are and their unique and amazing personalities.
‘We love walking and being outside. This is where both myself and Eve are at our happiest. Eve is naturally adventurous and we want to nurture this within her so she can go on and achieve great things. It was actually Eve who suggested doing this walk. She’s discovering so much on this journey that we hope will give her an amazing life experience that she can learn from and look back on with pride in the years to come.
‘Walking definitely helps us – we take great joy from being outside walking in nature. We feel safe and free when walking. We don’t have to pretend, we’re not being judged, we can just be ourselves. It’s where we belong.
‘It takes away the everyday worries that I know we all face, but for autistic people the ‘everyday’ can be so much more overwhelming. Being outdoors also removes us from some of the people who may judge or criticise us for being different. You will often hear us singing (out of tune) and laughing as we walk before you see us! For us, being outdoors is the ultimate freedom and liberation.’
1000 miles in one go!
‘The walk has been fantastic. But the biggest challenge has been the social side. We both struggle socially and, in all honesty, prefer to avoid people altogether. I tried to prepare myself for this, but nothing could prepare me for the amazing reaction we’ve had from people. Total strangers who have supported us, donated, offered kind words of support, bought us treats, stopped to speak to us on the trail… It’s been amazing, but also incredibly challenging. Being recognised has totally blown our comfort zone out of the water! But we’d like to thank every person who has supported our venture.
‘#walk1000miles is a major part of our life and Eve’s home education. It gives us focus for the year and a target to meet. It’s a fantastic challenge that we will continue to take part in each year.
‘This challenge is especially important for us in another way. When Eve was 18 months old she was diagnosed with a tumour on her spine. We were told that she wouldn’t make it. We spent a long time in hospital with her whilst she underwent treatment and the long process to recovery. Luckily, as you can see, she has made a full recovery and loves walking!’
