When life deals you a bad hand, you might feel as if you’re down in an inescapable hole. But each of these amazing Walk 1000Milers has overcome appalling hardship with one consistent message – WALKING WORKS!
‘I’ve lost 8 stone and my diabetes is in remission’
‘A few years ago I had a serious knee injury and needed cartilage surgery. I did get back to walking afterwards, but the longer distances I loved became harder and over time the weight crept on. By March 2025 things came to a head when a mystery virus left me bed‑ridden for weeks. During treatment I discovered just how much my health had declined – I was over 20 stone, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and dealing with high blood pressure, reduced kidney function and imbalanced cholesterol. That was the hardest moment, realising how far I’d slipped from the person I used to be. But it also became the point where everything started to change.
‘When I was finally well enough, I began with short, gentle walks. They were small steps, but they helped me turn the corner. As I gradually built distance, each milestone felt significant – that first mile after being ill, the day longer walks stopped feeling daunting again, and the moment my blood glucose and other levels started to improve. Those signs of progress kept me motivated and reminded me that I was heading in the right direction.
‘Now, 12 months on, I feel healthier and more in control than I have in years. I’m eight stone lighter, my diabetes is in remission, and my blood pressure and cholesterol are back in the normal range. But as positive as the physical changes are, the mental shift has been just as important: I feel more confident, hopeful and connected to myself again.
‘Walking has played a huge role in that transformation. It gave me a gentle, sustainable way to rebuild my health and confidence, and Walk1000Miles added structure, motivation and a sense of community that kept me going.
‘It reminded me that progress doesn’t have to be dramatic – it just has to be consistent. Step by step, walking helped me get my life back.’
Rob Baker
‘Walking a mile became the biggest achievement of my life’
‘I went down with Long Covid and was housebound for months – I couldn’t even walk to the end of our drive without experiencing post-exertional malaise. I started walking around the house (89 steps) and every two weeks increased it little by little, getting to the apple tree, then halfway down the drive, then to the end of the drive. I had a photo on my vision board of a place I used to walk to regularly, exactly one mile from my house, and it was my goal to get there. The picture shows me when I achieved it in May 2025 – the smile says it all. I still have a long way to go in my recovery, but the goal of one day completing the Walk1000Miles challenge once again is a huge motivation for that recovery.’
Mary Jones
‘I have a new life now – so Hadrian’s Wall, here I come!’
‘Until a few years ago I was well and I loved walking. I retired and my colleagues got me a subscription to Country Walking as a leaving present. Then osteoarthritis in hips and spine led to severe mobility issues and constant pain. I needed strong painkillers to get anywhere. I was very miserable – I had days when I was reduced to tears – but reading about (and imagining being on) the walks in the magazine, reading other people’s stories, and the support I got from the Walk1000Miles Facebook group kept my spirits up. I knew if others could do it, I could get back to walking again one day. In the last two years I got both hips replaced and have made a full recovery. I have my life back again and I try to never take it for granted. I’m 70 next year and I want to walk Hadrian’s Wall Path to celebrate that milestone and my new life!’
Ginny Matthew
'Walking was my lifeline’
‘Last March, I was diagnosed with a heart condition called SVT. I needed to keep walking. It was my lifeline. Stopping was not an option. The thought of getting my boots on and getting outside kept me focused and hopeful of a successful procedure. My heart consultant praised my attitude to health and walking, and agreed it was keeping me fit and healthy. I had a successful ablation in June and my first question to the consultant was, ‘can I do my 26-mile charity walk in five weeks?’ To my delight, he said yes. Week one after the ablation I couldn’t do more than walk around the house. In week two I walked four miles around Buttermere but I had to keep stopping. That didn’t matter – the rain, wind and fresh air felt incredible. It was a wonderful feeling. Over the next few weeks I walked a little further. When I crossed the line of my 26-mile charity walk five weeks later I cried. I cried because I had done it. It was the walking that kept me focused on getting better. Now, 12 months on from diagnosis, I have three 26-mile charity walks scheduled and I can’t wait. I’ve been discharged back to my GP and have a 95% chance that SVT won’t return. Walking makes me feel alive. I hope I can still be doing it when I’m 100!’
Janine Sargent
‘I am in a good place, and walking has played a huge part’
‘In June 2024 I had a bad cycling accident, suffering a shattered pelvis, broken femur and a bad elbow break, resulting in three operations and a six-week hospital stay. Then there was another six weeks in a wheelchair with medical staff not wanting to commit on my recovery. I made a commitment to myself to walk every day and have done so since September 2024. I managed a short hill walk with my daughter on Halkyn Mountain on Anglesey that October. It felt so good to be out on my favourite hills again. I was back cycling outdoors in March last year and in July did a 100-mile bike ride (the first of my targets). Walking has always been my main motivation though and, having never walked 1000 miles in a year before, I was determined to do so last year (I managed 1500). I walked solo up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) last May on a glorious day (pictured; the second of my targets). The elation was palpable. I am now planning a trip to Scotland with a buddy to tackle Ben Nevis via the CMD arête – my final target. Throughout all this I have had fantastic support from friends and family and, especially, my wife. I am also a member of the amazing Walk1000Miles Facebook group which has been so supportive throughout – such a good place to be mentally. I am in a good place, and walking has played a huge part in that.’
Martin Marco King