William Hawes from Costessey, has made the decision to forego spending Christmas Day with his wife and dogs in order to take on a 52-mile trek. He plans to walk and run the 26 miles of Marriott’s Way, located between Aylsham and Norwich, in both directions. Despite the sacrifice, William views this as the ultimate day to take on such a challenge, as everyone else is home with their loved ones. The construction worker will be raising money for the mental health charity Norfolk and Waveney Mind, as he has struggled with social anxiety himself in the past.
Having faced social anxiety and struggling to go to supermarkets alone in the past, William has found walking and running to be beneficial to his mental health. He credits Mind for providing specialist help and referring him to his GP, and the help he received was crucial to his recovery. Exercise has been a major factor in his improvement and he focuses on fitness six days a week for his mental health. In order to prepare for the walk, William has undergone a grueling fitness regime, which includes three days of strength training, one day of sledge training, and a long 10-15 mile walk on Saturdays.
Although William has completed long walks before, this will be his first fundraiser. He aims to raise £1,000 for Mind through his Justgiving.com page. He hopes that this will be just the first of many fundraisers to come. It is clear that William is passionate about raising awareness and funds for mental health charities such as Norfolk and Waveney Mind, and he is willing to make sacrifices in order to do so. He sees the Christmas Day challenge not just as a test of his physical endurance, but also as a demonstration of his dedication to helping others in need.
