The 25th of August, I will set off on a 1,000-mile solo trek from Helsingborg (the hometown of Henrik Larsson), Sweden, to Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland. I will cross five countries - Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, England and Scotland - and will walk every single mile apart from the overseas ferry crossings. I aim to finish the 16th of October, the day before Hearts at home, and I aim to walk 15–25 miles a day. All my belongings will fit in my backpack, and I hope to sleep outside whenever the weather allows. I have prepared for this since the end of March and will have walked a bit farther than the distance I will cover on the trek by the time I set off. I have done all I can to give myself the best possible chance of completing this.

My name is Ella, born and raised in Sweden, PhD student, massive football lover and Celtic supporter. Football has always been a huge part of my life, both playing and following it. I grew up when Larsson was at his peak, I played for a green and white team, and Celtic has always been there. When I moved to Glasgow for my master's at the University of Glasgow, Celtic came to play an increasingly large part in my life. Direct flights from Sweden to Scotland have made it possible for me to go to Glasgow to watch Celtic as often as life allows.

I decided to do this walk during a difficult period in my life in the winter and spring of 2026, after a period of hospitalisation and the sick leave that came with it. Walking became what I did during the days. Walking was a way of regaining power over my body, a way of proving to myself that despite everything, I could move, completely by myself, day after day, with one step in front of the other.

I decided that I wanted to do this for something bigger and that I wanted to do it for the Celtic FC Foundation. I want to raise as much money as I can, in my own small way, to support this club and the values it has stood for for more than a century: supporting the most vulnerable and those in society who need it most. I also want to give something back to a club that has given me so much throughout my life. This is what will push me forward through blisters, shin splints, heavy rain and getting lost somewhere in northwestern continental Europe.

I won't stop until I've reached and touched the statue of Celtic's founder, Brother Walfrid, at Celtic Park in early October 2026. It would mean the world to me if you wanted to cheer me on along the way and help me raise as much money as possible for the Celtic FC Foundation.

You can follow my journey on Instagram @ellastensdotter from the 25th of August.