Kintyre father and son’s colossal charity march
A KINTYRE grandfather and his son trekked nearly 100 miles across some of Scotland’s most challenging hills and glens to raise £1,450 for the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS).
John Brooks, 66, who lives near Clachan, and his son Luke Brooks, 36, from Hastings, camped and stayed in bunkhouses and youth hostels throughout the six-day, 96-mile West Highland Way journey from Milngavie, near Glasgow, to Gordon Square in Fort William.
John, who works in the construction industry, has walked the arduous route one and a half times before, and said: ‘I wasn’t sure if I’d make it this time – the last time I completed it was nearly 20 years ago, for muscular dystrophy, which my father suffered from.’
This time he chose to raise awareness and money for the charity SANDS after Luke and his wife, Suzanne, lost their baby daughter, Evelyn, 40 weeks into Suzanne’s pregnancy.
When John suggested the sponsored walk to Luke, he was enthusiastic straight away.
‘I knew it would be challenging,’ said John, ‘but it was good to do something together. The low point had to be coming across Rannoch Moor, the weather was really bad and I had sore calves, I struggled there a bit.
‘The last couple of days I said to myself: ‘I’m never doing this again.’ But a few days after the walk was finished, I said: ‘Never say never!’
The pair met several other inspiring people along the way, including a man with cerebral palsy who was walking 20 miles a day.
John said: ‘He was an amazing man. People we met on the journey would sponsor us when they noticed our SANDS t-shirts. Meeting such lovely people made it worthwhile.’
John said the highlight of the trip had to be at the end, when Luke’s wife Suzanne came to meet them at the finish line with the couple’s sons Ted, five, and Jim, 10 months.
‘It was very emotional, Suzanne and the children were waiting for us with balloons. They also met us at Tyndrum, on the way.
‘My cousin Andrew Large surprised us on the route too, just as we were coming off Rannoch Moor – he told us before we started that he’d jump out on us at some point!’
Luke and John want to thank everyone who donated via the sponsor sheets and online fundraising page.
John said: ‘Thank you, especially those from Mid Argyll and Kintyre, who have given us a lot of support. It meant a lot to me to do this with my son.’