Do a Charity Walk

“I was joining thousands towards a common goal. To walk 20 miles. It was a daunting proposition. But I felt energized. There was music and laughter. And all along the route volunteers cheered us onward. There were many stops for water. And to get check marks indicating progress on my Walk for Hunger brochure. There was a seemingly endless stream of humanity. It stretched out as far forward as one could see, and as far back. I wasn't the fastest walker, but not the slowest. We walked through Brookline, Newton, and crossed a bridge to Watertown. Then we circled back to Cambridge. At the half way mark we were given sandwiches, snacks and fruit juice. The noon day sun was quite warm. And there were stretches of desert-like conditions. But we carried on. In many ways, the middle miles were the most challenging.”

“I gave up on my rented apartment, left my PA job and set off for the 6,000-mile charity walk. I had unstoppable determination but no experience in long-distance walking. It was extremely challenging, overwhelming and sometimes dangerous. On my second day, walking on the Isle of Skye, I was following a clearly mapped route that would take me through dense forest and bogland. I expected the terrain to be challenging but nothing prepared me for the six hours with no solid ground underfoot. I clambered and stumbled over fallen trees, crossed rapids that were waist deep and scaled a cliff using heather as my only support. My thoughts were racing as tears flooded down my face. I felt completely helpless and alone.”