Your inspiring health stories

Walking is far stronger medicine than most people realise – as time and again our challengers’ experiences reveal.

‘You’ll marvel at how much better you’ll be’

When Hilary Warren, 74, from Wiltshire, was told it was too dangerous to operate on her spinal condition, and her husband Douglas was diagnosed with severe heart failure, getting to 1000 miles seemed impossible. And yet…

‘I have lumbar spinal stenosis – a narrowing of the spinal canal – which has caused my left foot to drop, so I limp quite badly. Last year my husband was taken into hospital with severe heart failure, which damaged his liver and kidneys. We’ve been married for 52 years and I thought I was going to lose him.

‘While he was in hospital my surgeon told me operating on my spine was now too dangerous. He added I needed to be fit to look after my husband. I could have cried – who was going to look after me so I could look after him?

‘We talked things over and said if no one is going to help us, we’re not going to sit around and let the grass grow under our feet. So we decided to try do #walk1000miles together. It was baby steps at first, not knowing how far to go without getting ill.

‘It was hard, but we were both determined to get to the 1000 miles, and we achieved the milestone on 26th December. We felt on top of the world – we were so pleased and so proud of ourselves.

‘I’m now so much fitter and stronger, and Douglas is doing much better. The challenge is the best thing either of us could have done – and not just for the health aspect. One time we made it up to the North Wessex Downs and the views just make you glad to be alive.

‘To anyone facing similar issues, I’d say don’t give in – that’s the easy way out. Just do baby steps and marvel at how well you’re doing, and after 1000 miles how much better and fitter you’ll be.’