Sophie is walking 400 miles in memory of her dad who died when she was 13 to raise money for Winston’s Wish. As well as raising money to help Winston’s Wish support other grieving young people, Sophie has found that her fundraising challenge has given her time to remember her dad and process her grief ahead of the 20th anniversary of his death.
Tell us about your fundraising challenge
I wanted to take on a challenge this year to mark the 20th anniversary of my Dad’s death in May. I needed to think of something that I could do during lockdown and that would help me to keep my dad’s memory alive.
So many of my happiest childhood memories are of being on holiday with Dad and the rest of the family in Salcombe in Devon, so I decided to walk the equivalent distance from Birmingham, where I live, to Salcombe and back again – a total of 400 miles (644km). I started on 1st March and aim to finish on 16th May, the day of the 20th anniversary of my dad’s death.
Why did you decide to support Winston’s Wish?
My dad died when I was 13 and Winston’s Wish is exactly what I needed 20 years ago. Losing a parent is life-changing and where most children have a million and one things in common with their friends, this is unlikely to be one of them, and so it’s vital to get support and guidance from elsewhere.
To raise money for Winston’s Wish was an easy decision to make. The work Winston’s Wish does is incredible in being able to give hope to children, showing them that despite the trauma, they are able to go on and live a rewarding life.
Were you looking forward to your walking challenge?
The number of kilometres I need to cover averages about 60km per week for 11 weeks in a row, which I knew was going to be challenging! I also wondered how many blisters I would get along the way… I was really looking forward to getting started though, watching the kilometres add up over the weeks and reaching ‘Salcombe’ at the halfway point.
How have you found your fundraising challenge?
It has been great getting out in the fresh air every day, but I am glad the snow quickly disappeared and the longer sunny evenings have come around! I have found some weeks tougher than others, but I have been sent some really lovely messages about Dad and reading these has been the motivation I need.
I initially set out on this challenge to honour my dad and raise money for Winston’s Wish, but it has given me so much more over the last few months. It has given me time to properly think about my dad, to think about all of the memories I have of him and the great times we had together. Grief never goes away and there are still times when I would do anything to be able to pick up the phone and speak to Dad. However, it also gives you a profound appreciation for life and this challenge has allowed me to reflect on the last 20 years and head towards the anniversary of his death with a better attitude towards it.
You can support Sophie’s fundraising challenge by donating to her JustGiving page
Fancy taking on your own fundraising challenge? Find out more here.