On 16th Oct I lost Linda, my partner and wife from 29th Aug - as well as best friend of over 21 years - from a terminal illness called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and due to the impact of the condition, I cared for Linda full-time for the last 2-3 years of her life.

PSP is a rare neuro-degenerative condition caused by the loss of nerve cells in the brain. Over time this causes problems with balance, speech, swallowing, vision and mobility. Currently there is no treatment and no cure available.

Whilst adjusting to living alone I read the book called ‘The Salt Path’ over Christmas, and I was so inspired by the couple’s story, that I've set myself the challenge to walk the complete length of the South West Coastal Path in a single trip. I will begin my walk on 16th Apr (6-month anniversary of Linda’s death) from Minehead and I plan to hopefully complete in 58-days finishing in Poole on 12th June, which is the day before my 59th birthday. But if I take longer then so be it.

I suffer from chronic lower back pain as a result of a previous 20-year military career and after enduring an infection following a Discectomy operation in 2003 – and despite my best intentions - I’ll need to arrange for my overnight equipment to be transported between campsites. However, I will still need to carry some supplies as I walk.

This will be very much a pilgrimage for me and I’m under no illusion about the challenges I’ll face both physically and emotionally as I attempt to complete the 630 miles (1014km) distance in one piece - the equivalent of 48 x half-marathons, whilst apparently climbing 4 x the height of Everest.

Nevertheless, I feel that this is also a worthy opportunity for me to promote the condition and raise funds for UK charity, PSPA and so during my walk I hope that friends and members of PSPA Support Groups located close to the route will be able to join me for various sections.

Further information about PSPA and PSP can be found at: www.pspassociation.org.uk