‘It’s SUCH a rewarding thing to do’

16-year-old Emmie Riley from Salford says she’s on a mission to defy teenage stereotypes – and she’s got 600 miles to back her up. “My boyfriend’s mum Jo was talking the challenge – and seeing the obvious difference it had made to her really inspired me. I’d wanted to make progress with my fitness for a while but had struggled to be motivated. Each week, I plan my walks and aim for around 10 miles for every one that I do. Sometimes Jo and I plan walks together and join each other on a big walk. It’s lovely to have the support from her and to have a friendly face with me.

“Doing the challenge has made such a difference to me! I’ve lost weight which has helped me gain confidence. I suffer from depression and anxiety, but doing the challenge has helped me clear my mind and look at things from a different perspective. But the most important difference in my opinion is I’m defying typical teenage stereotypes about walking and achieving. Walking is often seen by people my age as ‘boring’ and ‘pointless’, but I’m proving what a difference walking can make to anyone’s life.

“I’ve currently done over 600 miles and have set myself a personal target to get over 100 miles in a week so I’m planning lots of walks. I’ll definitely do the challenge again and I’m hoping more teenagers will be inspired to join in as it’s SUCH a rewarding thing to do :)”