Man with a point to prove in charity walk to London
A MUIRHEAD man is hoping to prove the army wrong by walking from Glasgow to London for charity.
Lewis McInnes, 24, failed his army medical recently but did not want his 12 months of training to go to waste.
After consulting with his mum, he decided that the cross-border challenge was what he wanted to do.
Lewis is anticipating that he will be able to complete the walk in just over two weeks. He said: “I have been training for a full year now alongside working in a call centre.
“When I found out I failed my medical I did not want to go back to the call centre, so I thought about what I could do with my time.
“I only have to wait a couple of months before I can try again, so I thought about walking the West Highland Way for charity, but in the end I settled on a walk to London.”
Lewis says the fundraiser has a link to his own background.
As well as his military ambition, he has also done some work with Shelter and recognises the struggle that servicemen and women have when they leave the army.
Because of this, Help for Heroes seemed the natural choice to benefit from Lewis’ walk. He added: “When I worked with Shelter I saw the impact that coming home can have on someone, with things like PTSD, and some even ending up on the streets.
“As I failed my medical I wanted to keep that armed forces link too, so Help for Heroes seemed like the best choice.
Starting on March 1, Lewis is planning to follow the Google Maps walking route from Glasgow to London, taking him on a 386-mile journey.
The journey will take Lewis south from Glasgow to Carlisle, taking him around four days to get across the English border.
After that, he will head further south, venturing briefly into the Lake District National Park and passing through the Yorkshire Dales before reaching Manchester.
This will leave Lewis with five or six days to reach London, with the last leg of the trip involving the Peak District and the entirety of the Midlands, before arriving in the South East and eventually London.
Lewis said: “I am hoping that it shouldn’t take more than two weeks and I will just be staying where I can on my way down.
“Hostels are going to be what passes for luxury until I get to London.
“From there I will be staying for a few days with my mum in Norwich, although she is coming to pick me up as I don’t think I will want to do any more walking!”
Last week Help for Heroes gave Lewis’ journey the green light and have helped him set up a fundraising page online.
Ailsa Alcock, regional manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “This is another brilliant example of what lengths our supporters go to in aid of Help for Heroes.
“Lewis will be embarking on a major physical but also mental challenge and I am sure he will inspire many others.
“I think I speak for everyone at the charity when I wish him all the best.
“Good luck, and remember to bring your coat, you’ll need it.”