The rise of the super challenge
Debbi
IN A moment of post-pandemic exhilaration, I signed up for a 24-hour charity fundraising hike along Hadrian’s Wall for Mind, the mental health charity.
It seemed like the perfect antidote to a lockdown that, at its worst, confined us to the house with only an hour outside for exercise.
And I am by no means alone in wanting to reap the benefits of the great outdoors.
According to research from RunRepeat, nearly 60 per cent of us prefer to exercise outside – with many of us trying to push ourselves to the max.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in people wanting to push limits, set new goals and feel a part of something. Usually this heightened desire for achievement and challenge through sport occurs around life events such as milestone birthdays, however the pandemic was a major event for the whole nation,” said James Robinson, managing director of LimeLight Sports Club.
And with more than twothirds of us reporting worse mental health since the first lockdown, there has never been a better time to experience the endorphin rush that exercise brings.
I was certainly hoping my 24-hour hike would be a mood-booster.
But now the weekend has arrived, I’m not so sure. I’m sitting in the dining room of a youth hostel surrounded by 30 strangers, each looking as scared as I feel.
We’re about to embark on one of the biggest challenges of our lives. Apart from a short stop for lunch, dinner, and blister plaster applications, we’ll be walking all day and night without sleep.
As I chat to my fellow walkers, it’s clear everyone has their own reason for taking part.
Many are driven by their own mental health challenges and the need to have a goal and push themselves.
Two young women have both lost a sibling to suicide. Their courage leaves a lump in my throat. However hard the next 24 hours are, there’s no way I can quit now. We set off from the youth hostel at 8am on Saturday.
The views of Hadrian’s Wall are breathtaking but the hills are incredibly steep and, while we’ve been lucky with the sunny, dry weather, we’re soon sweating as we clamber to the top.
The age range spans from a 19-yearold about to start university to people in their 50s. Some are keen to be at the front, others need a bit of extra support.
As we walk, we talk. Sometimes about our mental health, sometimes simply about how beautiful the views are.
But as the day wears on, fatigue and blisters start to set in. I stumble and a rock leaves an impressively bloody gash on my knee.
We’ve made it to 20 miles, but there are still a few hours to go before we can get back to the hostel to grab some food and start the night section of the walk.
The challenge feels enormous and I don’t know how I’ll manage. My hips and back ache and I’m tired – the prospect of no sleep is grim.
Treading in a muddy bog, I soak my boots. I could cry. Thankfully, a dinner of burger and chips perks me up for the night walk.
The lobby of the youth hostel looks like a warzone. Hikers are strapping up their knees, one woman has a bad rash on her ankles and ice on both legs.
I feel lucky just to have a couple of blisters and a scabby knee.
Head torches on, we head into the night. The moon is bright and someone plays music, which lifts our spirits.
However, without the views, there’s little else to do but turn inwards to our own thoughts. Walking for another 12 hours feels impossible.
But small things suddenly seem amazing. After grumbling about there being nothing to look at, we’re excited to cross a long pedestrian bridge across a river.
We gasp with joy as we walk through a village and, when we stop for hot soup and a roll at 3am, it feels like heaven.
It’s clear people are beginning to struggle, and not just with conversation topics. Paracetamol is handed around, along with pep talks and encouragement.
There’s no part of me that doesn’t hurt but there’s also no part of me going to give up.
As we trudge on, sometimes chatting and sometimes in silence, the sky gradually begins to lighten. Clouds become clearer and the stars fade. A red glow of sunrise appears.
A group of us choose to sit and watch the sun fully light the sky before completing the last mile of our walk.
There is always something lifeaffirming about watching the start of a new day, but it feels even more special when you’ve walked 37 miles to get there.
We arrive at the finish broken but much stronger than we started 24 hours ago. As I hug my fellow walkers, now friends, goodbye, I realise this walk, while painful in parts, has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s shown us that while we might struggle with things in life, by putting one foot in front of the other, we will get there. And meet some amazing people along the way. Hiking firm Merrell has joined forces with Mind to promote the benefits of time outdoors. To take part in a similar hike for Mind, or for mental health support, visit mind.org.uk. Donate at justgiving.com/ fundraising/DebbiMarco
Keen to shake off the confines of lockdown, experts say more of us than ever before are taking on tough fitness exploits. Hoping to push herself to the max, Marco laces up her trainers for a gruelling 24-hour hike