Tring man to walk 100k to raise money for Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research

Luke Chetwood from Marsworth, Tring, is preparing for a 100 kilometre trek along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset which starts on Saturday (May 14).

Luke chose to raise money for Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research after he worked as a live-in support worker for a man who had suffered a spinal cord injury.

“I’ve chosen to support Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research as I’m now so aware of just how much research is required to enable people to live fulfilling lives following life changing injuries such as these, and how research can impact this day to day,” he said.

To prepare for his two-day trek in Dorset, Luke has been walking between 90 and 110 kilometres every week, splitting these into two or three walks.

He hopes to finish the full 100 kilometre walk in around 22 hours.

Luke said: “I did walk two 45K days back-to-back so hopefully that has gotten me ready to an extent, though I’m hoping to taper down the training now to avoid any injuries before the big day.”

Charlotte Minoprio, Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research’s fundraising manager, said: “On behalf of everyone involved with the Charity, we’d like to wish Luke the very best of luck with his momentous challenge. We’ll be rooting for you Luke!”

The public can donate to Luke’s JustGiving page here.

The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It stretches from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, a distance of about 96 miles (154 km), and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in mid-December 2001.

The site spans 185 million years of geological history, coastal erosion having exposed an almost continuous sequence of rock formation covering the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. At different times, this area has been desert, shallow tropical sea and marsh, and the fossilised remains of the various creatures that lived here have been preserved in the rocks.