TWO brothers-in-law took part in a huge walking challenge to raise money for a cause close to their hearts in Ilminster.
Shaun Murphy, 53, decided to complete the Coast 2 Coast walk to raise money for EAQ Manor Farm after they helped his daughter to cope with her Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
His daughter, Ella, had the pain disorder from ages seven until 12.
Unfortunately the condition, which makes nerve endings tell your brain you are in pain, returned when she was 14.
Ella's mum, Charlotte, tried so many different therapies to help Ella - Indian Head Massage, arts and crafts - but eventually she found EAQ Manor Farm.
This is an equine-assisted learning centre to help children, young people and adults.
Ella has been attending EAQ Manor Farm for around two years, and is studying for the OCNLR Award for Skills in Animal Welfare and Management. But at the moment, she is attending horse therapy as a way of remaining calm.
And so Shaun, from Langport, decided he wanted to give back to the centre for all the work they have done to help Ella.
He often walks and camps with his brother-in-law Andy McMillan, 60, from Broxbourne, and so he proposed the idea of the Coast 2 Coast challenge to him.
"I have always liked walking and camping, especially in the Lake District, and over a number of years have enjoyed some challenging technical mountain walks with Andy," said Shaun.
"Knowing a little about Alfred Wainwright and previously using his guide books made me interested in his long-distance routes, in looking for a challenge and something different with endurance.
"Along with the love of the lakes, I read up on the Coast 2 Coast walk."
After Covid-19 delays, Andy and Shaun put together a full itinerary and took on the challenge.
They started at St Bees in Cumbria on the West Coast, and finished at Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire on the East Coast.
"The Coast 2 Coast is a different challenge for everyone with their own itinerary, for us the challenge was carrying our packs of around 15kg each so we could camp, knowing what to expect of the terrain, we, therefore, planned the hike over 15 stages," added Shaun.
"This made it manageable by pacing the endurance element to be sure of completing the end goal successfully.
"The main difficulty for me was the weight on my feet, on the hard surfaces, which blistered a bit!
"We also had good weather on our side that made the experience much more enjoyable.
"Once the challenge had become a reality, I knew I wanted to do it not just for myself but also to give something to someone else, and after much thought and knowing what a wonderful difference EAQ makes to my daughter, it just made sense to me to help them.
"A big thank you to my darling wife Charlotte for all her support and help in this venture, along with Andy, whose assistance in planning and daily motivation was indispensable."
So far the pair have raised £1,860 for EAQ Manor Farm.
To donate or to read more about Ella's story visit localgiving.org/fundraising/hiking-for-EAQ-Manor-Farm/
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