Four years on, ex-para’ s walk reaches Perth

Ex-paratrooper Chris Lewis has arrived in Perth, four years after he set off from Wales on his marathon fundraising trip around the coast of the UK.

He was in Dundee in the last few days, and has now reached Perth with his partner Kate.

Chris is walking to raise funds for the armed forces charity SSAFA, and has already raised more than £185,000.

Speaking to The Courier when he arrived in Dundee,

Chris said support from people on his route had kept his spirits up. He said people often recognised him after following his journey online and would stop to offer encouragement.

Two kind-hearted followers even helped Chris celebrate his 41st birthday by delivering a bottle of wine and a curry to where he was camping near Dundee.

On his way to Perth, Chris said: “We set off after our cold coffee to be hit by the rain and hail throughout the day, arriving in Errol to stock up for the next stretch.

“The shop didn’t have much but we found a butcher who did hot pies! So we stood getting soaked in joy that we had a hot pie to warm the insides,” he wrote online.

Chris set off from Swansea before walking up the west coast of the UK, around Northern Ireland, and north to the Hebrides.

Explaining how his trip started in 2017, Chris said he wanted to give something back after he was supported by SSAFA.

“I have experienced firsthand what they do and I honestly don’t know where I would be without their help and support,” he said.

“Having recently finished school, my daughter is now moving to attend college in Bournemouth, where she will stay with family.

“This recent development has left me to re-evaluate a few things and has offered the opportunity for me to give back to those who have helped us so much.”

He is now well over halfway into his trip, which will see him walk more than 8,600 miles by the time he arrives back in Swansea.

Chris’s journey was extended after he decided to also walk around the islands and Northern Ireland, rather than just mainland Britain.

He has spent most of the trip sleeping outside, and in Dundee spent time with a homeless charity.

Chris explained he and Kate had opted to head to Perth and avoid the Tay Road Bridge, which cuts off some of the coast.

CHARITY EFFORT: Chris Lewis, with partner Kate, started his trip in Swansea in 2017.