Man walks for his granddaughter
Before Terry Wilson’s granddaughter died, he joked with her about doing an 800-kilometre pilgrimage walk in Spain.
In August, their talk became a reality as the Manawatu¯ man began a 35-day trek along the Camino de Santiago.
It was a gruelling journey that he did in honour of his granddaughter Maddy Stuart, 17, who battled cystic fibrosis for 15 years before succumbing to the disorder in 2016.
The debilitating pulmonary disorder leaves sufferers with an average life expectancy of 35 years.
Wilson, 68, expected the journey to be difficult, but he did not fully grasp how strenuous it would be. ‘‘Three words – gut-bustlingly hard.’’
On the first day he climbed from 200 metres above sea level to nearly 1500m in the French Pyrenees in 33 degrees Celsius heat.
‘‘I knew it was going to be the hardest.’’
Once he reached that evening’s pit stop, he was so exhausted an organiser kept a close eye on him.
‘‘He wandered past my bedding about three times in the first hour to make sure I was still alive.’’
Wilson walked about 25km a day and had just two days’ rest, which included one after rolling his ankle.
Despite the sore joint, he kept going, but was now paying for it with trips to the physio.
‘‘You meet people along the way. If you fall behind you never see them again.’’
The trip was physically and spiritually rewarding, Wilson said. ‘‘I walked with special intentions and that worked very well.
‘‘I got everything I wanted out of it for Maddy and myself.’’
The T-shirts he wore during the trip read ‘‘In memory of Maddy’’ and served as a daily reminder of his granddaughter.
‘‘We know that she’s in a very good space and that she has been very happy.’’
The trip was rewarding, Wilson said.
He aimed to raise at least $10,000 to split between Cystic Fibrosis NZ and Cure Kids NZ. He’s raised almost $5000 so far.
A givealittle page has been set up.