68-year-old Peter Walker has completed the mammoth 186-mile Pembrokeshire coast walk and raised over £13,890 for The Christie Charity.
Peter, who lives in Pembrokeshire, organised the well-known Tour of Pembrokeshire cycling event for many years. A keen cyclist, Peter was due to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats last year as a fundraiser with his good friend Nick Slevin but just a few weeks before the ride, Nick’s wife Carrie was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer and has since been receiving treatment at The Christie hospital, a specialist cancer centre in Manchester.
The bike ride was postponed but as their friends had raised funds Peter decided he still wanted to do something for the charity, and tackling the Pembrokeshire Coast Path meant that Nick and Carrie could join him for the final stage of the two-week hike.
The challenge was an incredibly gruelling one and in preparation for carrying a 20kg backpack, Peter lost 8kg (over a stone) in weight prior to the walk and a further 3kg (almost half a stone) during the walk itself, which started at Amroth and finished 186 miles along the coast at St Dogmaels.
Nick – who recently retired from The Christie after 30 years – was a Professor of Oncology specialising in head and neck cancer and is the Chair of The Christie Charity. Peter and Nick met in 1973 whilst Nick was at medical school and have been firm friends ever since. They both lost their fathers to cancer more than 40 years ago in 1983. Carrie is a well-known teacher in the Didsbury area and a good fell-walker.
Peter followed the Cicerone guide and camped at designated campsites or stayed with friends along the route. He says: “It was a challenging but wonderful experience taking on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, and I learned a lot about backpacking after years of running and cycling. I climbed over 10,000 metres (more than Mount Everest) and I am extremely pleased to have been able to support The Christie, especially as they’re looking after Carrie. On the very first day of the walk, I met a current Christie patient who was extremely complimentary of the care and expert treatment she’s received.”
Donate to Peter and Nick’s fundraising page here.
