A PENSIONER has reached the half-way mark in his epic virtual walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Gordon Hull, of Bearpark, is on course to complete the gruelling 874-mile challenge before his 80th birthday on May 24, having regularly clocked up between 40 to 50 miles a week since the start of the year.
His daily walks in County Durham are logged by a GPS watch, linked to an app, which calculates where he would be at any given time along the iconic route.
Gordon, a former heritage parks project officer for Aberdeen City Council, said: “According to the app, I reached the half-way mark when I went over the Kirkstone Pass in Cumbria.”
“I managed 60 miles last week and have to admit my feet were a little sore, but I’m well on track to finish my journey before I turn 80.
“It’s getting easier now that the nights are lighter.
“I’m really enjoying the experience of the changing weather conditions and environment, it has been like walking into spring.
“I’ve spent most of my time on the Lanchester Railway Valley Path or in the Deerness Valley.
“I’ve even taken the opportunity to educate myself about the different birdsong I hear along the way.”
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While Gordon knows some people affected by dementia, he has no close family members with the condition.
However, he was determined to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society after seeing an item in the news about the number of people affected.
There are 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK, including 39,000 across the North East and almost 10,000 in County Durham and Darlington. By 2025, the national figure will be one million.
Siobhan Marsh, community fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society in the North East, said: “I’m thrilled that Gordon is now passed the half way mark, and is on track to reach his goal before his 80th birthday.
“It has been an incredibly difficult two years for people affected by dementia, and they need our support now more than ever.
“Our services have been used more than six million times since the start of the pandemic.
“All the money Gordon raises will help us to reach out to more people through our vital services, like the Dementia Connect support line.”
Anyone wishing to support Gordon can do so by visiting his Just Giving page or search for ‘Gordon’s End2End’ on Just Giving.
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