Story
26 FOR KALLIPATEIRA – TWO EXTREME CHALLENGES
In October 2018, our beautiful daughter Kallipateira died at 37 weeks of pregnancy.
On 24 October 2018, my partner Gaynor and I were told that our baby girl had died. Two days later, on 26 October, Kallipateira was born.
She is beautiful.
I will never forget her full head of dark hair, her little dimples and the Snowman and Snowdog outfit she was dressed in.
Although we never got to bring her home, she will always be our daughter.
26 October 2026 will be Kallipateira’s 8th birthday.
This October, I am going to take on two extreme challenges to help raise money to support stillbirth research.
CHALLENGE ONE – BABY LOSS AWARENESS WEEK
The first challenge will take place on Baby Loss Awareness Week, 9–15 October 2026.
On Saturday 10 October, I will begin at 3am and take on Halifax’s toughest and most famous climbs.
I will complete:
• 26 Walks of Shibden Wall
• 26 Walks of Trooper Lane
After completing the climbs, I will then begin a 30-mile walk from Halifax to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester - the home of Alex Heazell and his team at the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre.
The purpose of this challenge is to raise awareness of baby loss and stillbirth during Baby Loss Awareness Week, while raising money for research that could help prevent other families from experiencing the devastation of losing a baby.
After completing this challenge, I will have two weeks before travelling to Rhodes for the second and final challenge on Kallipateira’s 8th birthday.
EXTREME CHALLENGE TWO – KALLIPATEIRA 8th BIRTHDAY
Then, on Monday 26 October – Kallipateira’s 8th birthday – I will take on a very special challenge dedicated entirely to our daughter.
On 26 October I will:
• Complete 26 walks of the steep mountain road to Prophet Elias Monastery in Faliraki
• Walk 8 miles to Tsambika Monastery – 8 miles for Kallipateira’s 8th birthday
• Walk the 300 steps at Tsambika Monastery 26 times
The numbers all have a meaning.
26 for the date Kallipateira was born.
8 miles for the 8th birthday.
Gaynor and I suffered a miscarriage at nine weeks in May 2019.
Later that summer, we travelled to Tsambika and prayed there for a sibling for Kallipateira.
Our son Apollon was born in May 2020 at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester following specialist care.
Returning to Tsambika on Kallipateira’s 8th birthday will therefore be incredibly emotional.
It will be my way of honouring Kallipateira and saying thank you once again for the blessing of our son.
WHY AM I DOING THIS?
I have completed extreme challenges before, including walking around the full island of Rhodes without sleep in 2021, 100 climbs of the steps at Tsambika in 2024, 50 walks of the road to Prophet Elias Faliraki in 2025 and, most recently, 260 lengths of the Ancient Stadium of Rhodes in July 2026.
But this is different.
This isn't about proving how far I can walk or how much physical pain I can endure. I know there will be pain, exhaustion and moments when my body tells me to stop. But the physical challenge is not the reason I am doing this.
I am doing this for Kallipateira. Every step will be about love and honouring my daughter on her 8th birthday.
Every challenge I undertake is in honour of Kallipateira and to raise awareness of stillbirth.
HELPING TO FUND STILLBIRTH RESEARCH
The money raised through these challenges will support the work of Professor Alexander Heazell and his team at the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.
Their research is helping us understand why babies die before birth and how we can improve care and prevent future stillbirths.
This matters enormously to me because research is one of the ways we can try to make sure that fewer families have to hear the words we heard on 24 October 2018.
My fundraising has also helped support research and projects aimed at improving care for families and reducing the number of preventable stillbirths.
£2,626 FOR KALLIPATEIRA
My target for the two October challenges is £2,626
26 for the date she was born on October 26th 2018.
And £2,626 is my way of turning her birthday and the month of October into something positive – raising money in her honour and helping support research that will make a difference to other babies and families.
If you are able to donate, no matter how much, I would be incredibly grateful.
And every donation helps support research to better understand and prevent stillbirth.
If you cannot donate, please consider sharing this page. That can be just as valuable in helping us reach more people and raise awareness.
On 26 October, I will take every step for my daughter.
Thank you for taking the time to read Kallipateira’s story and for supporting us.
EXTREME CHALLENGE ANNOUNCEMENT
https://youtu.be/I3qCP93WMgg?is=4RRY_UIV-Mlzr4E
These challenges are extreme, both physically and mentally.
If you have never seen the roads, climbs and locations involved, the videos below will give you an idea of what I will be taking on.
This is what the challenges actually look like — and why every step, every mile and every climb will be a challenge.
Shibden Wall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH9ufkAeqfA
Trooper Lane Halifax
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG__1WsPiJ4
Prophet Elias Mountrain Road Faliraki
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fScjepwUWj4
Tsambika Monastery Rhodes