OWNER of Westbury Car Auctions, Paul Burden, has completed a gruelling 53-mile walk to raise money for a charity which is very important to him.
With his girlfriend Magda, Paul walked from Westbury to Poole in Dorset in 23 and a half hours with no breaks and completely unsupported.
Paul decided to take on the challenge after his mother died in June from bowel cancer. Before she died, Paul’s mum was cared for by the Lewis-Manning Hospice in Poole.
Paul said, “Thanks to the professionalism and compassion of all the hospice staff over the 32 days in their care, she was able to pass away pain-free and with dignity. I will be eternally grateful to them.
“I will be forever comforted by the memories of her laying in her bed outside in the shaded sunshine overlooking one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. She always loved fresh air and the kind staff would go to any lengths to accommodate her wishes. The very least I can do is make an effort to help them continue to provide the first class care that they give.”
Paul and Magda left Westbury on Wednesday 6th September at 5.30am and reached Poole at 6am next day, having walked the total of 53 miles.
A day after they returned, Paul said, “It was really hard, harder than I thought it would be. Up to 20 miles it was going well but as the miles went by, it got trickier and trickier and the blisters started. We’d only done 27 miles in training, so 53 was a huge challenge.
“When we arrived in Poole, we were knackered and in a lot of pain, but there was a huge sense of relief and we were very proud of ourselves. Although it was difficult, I was always going to make it to the end, even if I crawled back. But mission accomplished! And what a mission it was.
“My mum would have thought I was crazy but would be very proud. When she was in the hospice, I told her that I would raise money for the hospice to thank them for everything they had done.
“It was a gruelling challenge. The route was very difficult, hardly any flat land – lots of walking up and down hills. In total, in hills, we walked the height of Snowdonia.
“The scenery was glorious and we got to see parts of the countryside which we wouldn’t normally see, including a hedgehog, which I haven’t seen for years.
“Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. I originally set my target at £1,000, but I reached that pretty quickly, so I increased it to £5,000. We’re at £3,770 now, which is fantastic.
“Would I do it again? Ask me again in a couple of weeks when my legs have stopped hurting!”
You can still donate to the hospice by visiting Paul’s fundraising page. Visit www.justgiving.com/ and search Paul Burden.
