Walking The Edge - In Memory of Chris, Sam & Aziz.

— As people have been asking where it is, the link to the “Buy Me A Pasty” page is at the bottom of this bio… :)

In 2020 during covid, I lost one of my dearest friends Chris. At the time he was homeless and although we all tried to help in the ways we could, he ultimately lost his life in part of the river that we used to love swimming in at Twickenham, SW London. Devastated still isn't the word and I think of him most days. Often when undertaking the intense things in life that are either physical or mental, and that I seem to have a natural affinity toward, I feel his strength and endless smiles with me.

Then early last year, another two of my dear old friends — Sam and Aziz — lost their lives while hiking in the Dolomites, Italy. This happened not long after I came back from a weekend away with them where they were sharing stories of their expeditions all over the world, showing me pictures and giving me tips on gear and all the general advice on how to rough it out in the wild. I made a promise to them I would slowly get some gear together and learn the ropes to hopefully one day join them on an epic adventure. How life has other plans!!

Two different stories.

Three endings that shouldn’t have happened.

This one walk is for all of them.

For the boys.

--- The Walk

Later this year, I’ll be walking the entire South West Coast Path — over 600 miles of cliffs, exposure, wind, distance and some pretty epic views.

The plan is to wild camp most nights but also take advantage of my relatively extensive experience in globe trotting by taking the challenges & opportunities that arise along the way in my stride and with a smile from all four of us.

The plan is also to be moving every day, whatever the weather, a different spot every night.

Some days will feel endless and that’s kinda the point.

Its why I’m doing this!

-- Grief doesn’t sit quietly in you. It moves through you, and in many many ways...

So I’m choosing to move with it.. : ))))

Sam and Aziz were lost in the mountains — and a team of strangers went out into dangerous terrain to try and bring them home. God bless those humans.

Chris was lost in a different way — slowly, on the streets, where it’s easier for people to disappear in plain sight and into the darkness.

And then there are the battles you don’t see at all — the ones that happen in people’s heads, in silence.

This walk sits at the intersection of all three.

-- Where the Money Goes --

Every donation will go to Crisis Support (UK)

Supporting Samaritans, providing a 24/7 lifeline for people in distress or at breaking point.

Samaritans is one of the UK and Ireland’s most vital emotional safety nets — a quiet, always-on presence for people who feel like they’ve got nowhere else to turn.

Founded in 1953, they exist for one core purpose: to listen without judgement, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No scripts, no rushing, no fixing — just human attention at the exact moment someone is at breaking point.

Their volunteers answer millions of calls, texts, and emails every year from people dealing with:

-- Suicidal thoughts

-- Grief and loss

-- Loneliness and isolation

-- Mental health crises

-- Overwhelm that feels too heavy to carry alone

What makes them powerful isn’t just the scale — it’s the method. Samaritans don’t tell people what to do. They hold the line while someone finds their own reason to stay alive. Sometimes that’s a 10-minute call. Sometimes it’s an hour of silence broken by small, steady conversation. Sometimes it’s just being the only voice that answers that night.

-- What This Means --

This isn’t about chasing attention.

It’s about:

- The people who go out of their way to help others.

- The people who fall through the cracks.

- The people fighting battles no one else can see.

- And finally myself, processing and moving through the grief, in a meaningful way, that's full of physical & mental challenge to allow myself to step into the next stage of my life.

If this walk can turn loss into something that helps even a few people — for me, then it’s worth every step.

I already tear up when i see the donations that have come in!

From the bottom of my heart, deep thanks & gratitude to each and every one of you who have donated this far. Big or small, it or helps so much.

-- If You Want to Support --

You can donate whatever you can — it all counts and is immensely appreciated.

Or just follow the journey, share it, and keep the names of the brothers moving forward:

Chris. Sam & Aziz.

They’re the reason this walk exists.

FOR THE BOYS!

— Thank you for reading this far!

Also if you fancy, as money is tight, I’ve set up a “Buy Me A Pasty” page and would greatly appreciate any support to keep me fed & watered. Although I dreamt of being fully self-supported the entire way, depression and everything else got in the way prior and has meant I’m running a little low financially.. Didn’t realise just quite how many calories I would need!

Link is https://ko-fi.com/jackheart 🫶

Also also, If you would like to keep up with my journey, please feel free to follow me along on my instagram page: @intergalactic__jack .. If we have met I’d love to keep in touch so feel free to drop me a message :) 🫶

Much much love folks!

🏃🏻❤️‍🩹💨💨💨💨💨