Year 12 pupil, Rafferty S, has completed an incredible 190 mile walk in less than 10 days all to raise money for a primary school in Africa.
Accompanied by his friend Fred from Bishops’ Stortford College, Raff began his challenge at St Bees in Cumbria at 7am on Saturday May 25. His goal was to walk as much of the famous Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk as possible – never expecting to complete the entire walk in just nine days.
To achieve this, the duo had to walk an average of 24 miles a day – the same length as a marathon – all while carrying supplies and camping equipment.
“We considered a few routes in the UK that we might be able to tackle during half term, before Fred suggested that we attempt the Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk”, said Raff. “We were both up for a difficult challenge, so we set ourselves a goal to complete it in just nine days, carrying all our kit and outdoor camping equipment as much as possible to meet our deadline. It meant we had to walk the equivalent of a marathon every day, often up mountains and on very rocky terrain.”
Crossing three National Parks and battling wind and rain, the pair completed the walk on Sunday June 2 at around 6pm in Robin Hood’s Bay.
Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk is the most popular long-distance trail in Britain. From the Irish Sea at St. Bees Head, it winds its way across Northern England, to the North Sea shoreline at Robin Hood’s Bay, passing through The Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.
The average, the 190 mile Coast to Coast Walk usually takes 12-14 days, demonstrating the incredible determination of Raff and Fred together.
“We experienced mixed unpredictable weather, and walking in the rain and high winds was incredibly hard, but when the sun came out the scenery was absolutely amazing”, said Raff. “My best bit of kit was my walking poles as they helped us conquer all the hill climbing. Our hardest part was probably about halfway through, when everything was wet, and Fred’s blisters made it really painful for him to walk. We didn’t know if we’d make it in the time we had and we had to re-motivate ourselves by thinking about how good it would feel when we had finished it.
“The key thing I have learnt from this experience is that I am pretty determined when I set a goal and can keep going even when things get tough. I am extremely proud that we completed the walk in just nine days and I’m already planning my next expedition.”
Raising more than £1,600 so far, all the money raised will be donated to the Bunina Primary school in Zimbabwe to support the development of a new classroom block.
