- The intrepid teams – from military charity Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) – have faced poor weather, Storm Bram, mud, multiple punctures and equipment failures, but determination has kept them walking.
- Each team took on one day of the challenge, averaging 40kms per day during ‘Long Way Home’ with the final leg between Chester-le-Street and Newcastle being 38km.
- The pulk (sled) represents the burdens that many veterans have to carry every single day.
Arriving at the Fusilier Memorial, St Thomas’ Green near the Haymarket, Newcastle at 17:00 on Monday 22nd December, the WWTW ‘Long Way Home’ challenge team will finish their mammoth 18-day, 700km trek, bringing a symbolic pulk (Arctic sled) home to Newcastle in time for Christmas.
The pulk-pull began at 8am on Friday 5th December, from The Cenotaph, London with the first and final legs accompanied by veteran and star of TV’s ‘Hunted’ and ‘Celebrity Hunted’, Nichola Tidd.
On her decision to become a Walking Home For Christmas Ambassador Nichola Tidd said:
“I wanted to give something back and I’m delighted that myself and my daughter, Elodie, can be a part of Walking Home For Christmas this year, and also Long Way Home, which so gets to the heart of what WWTW stands for.”
Long Way Home is part of WWTW’s popular annual Walking Home For Christmas event. The aim is to raise money and awareness of the work that WWTW does with veterans who have struggled to transition back into civilian life or are living with challenges brought on by their time in service.
Route for final day into Newcastle:
Partway through the challenge paralympic gold medallist Gregg Stevenson joined for the final rain-drenched kilometres into central Manchester. On the challenge and the charity he said:
“The special thing about Walking With The Wounded is they do exactly what they say…it’s about supporting people who have come across hard times, so thank you very much for your support. This whole mission represents the veteran community WWTW supports – its resilience, pushing ourselves and having a bit of fun and camaraderie along the way.”
Walking With The Wounded’s annual Christmas fundraiser challenges the charity’s supporters to take on a sponsored walk with family, friends or colleagues. Every penny raised goes to support veterans and their families.
For many, winter and Christmas are a time to celebrate with loved ones, but for some of the veterans WWTW supports, that isn’t their reality. Instead, winter can be a difficult time for them. For over 10 years, Walking Home For Christmas has connected communities throughout the UK, all with the same aim: to support those who served.
The route of Long Way Home can be explored on the TRACKER
The post Walking With The Wounded: 700km Trek Ends in Newcastle to Honour Veterans appeared first on Newcastle Magazine – Your source for inspiring Newcastle news.
