Leighton Buzzard carpenter set to run and walk 950 miles in 3 weeks in charity challenge
A Leighton Buzzard carpenter is set to run and walk 950 miles in three weeks as part of an endurance challenge for charity.
Neil Mills, 48, a director of SD Carpentry based in Leighton Buzzard, is aiming to visit every Young Lives vs Cancer Home from Home across the country.
Neil, who was diagnosed with ADHD in his forties, admitted that in 2021 he could not even run a mile.
“For years I battled a noisy mind, addiction, and a feeling that I never quite fitted,” Neil said.
“I transitioned from weightlifting into running and discovered that endurance didn’t make me special - it made me stable. The discipline, structure and long miles gave me clarity and purpose.”
Neil said he had been training for four years for the challenge and that he would be completing it on foot alone – albeit with his friend Sacha driving a campervan as support.
“I don’t have a direct personal link to cancer,” Neil said. “I’m doing this because I believe in what Young Lives vs Cancer do – providing “Homes from Home” next to hospital units so families can stay close to their children during treatment.
“My main objective is to raise as much awareness and funding as possible, but also to show that it’s never too late to rebuild your life.
“If someone at 48 can go from not running a mile to attempting 950, then maybe the box people think they’re stuck in isn’t permanent.”
Neil’s challenge starts on April 1.
His route is broken down as follows:
> London to Nottingham – 127 miles
> Nottingham to Edinburgh – 279 miles
> Edinburgh to Glasgow – 47 miles
> Glasgow to Belfast – 143 miles
> Belfast to Manchester – 293 miles
> Manchester to Bristol – 165 miles
> Bristol to Southampton – 100 miles
> Southampton to London – 79 miles