A motoring journalist has completed a 250 mile walk from Oxfordshire to Wales to raise money for a charity which rehabilitates veterans through motorsports.
Alex Robbins, from South London, set off from the Mission Motorsport's headquarters in Wantage on October 18, and arrived at the Trac Môn Anglesey Circuit in Anglesey on November 10.
He walked 250 miles over 22 days, raising nearly £8,000 for the charity and arriving to watch its annual Race of Remembrance.
READ MORE: 'Absolute mayhem' as drivers queue for Abingdon fireworks
Mr Robbins said: “I’d always wanted to go to the race, but my conceit was that Anglesey's so far away it seemed a faff to drive there. So, I thought I’d walk instead.”
After 18 months of training Mr Robbins was physically prepared to make it to Wales, but found the mental aspect an unexpected challenge.
“There were parts towards the end that were mentally quite tough just because I’d been away from home for so long, and I missed my family and my kids,” he explained.
The huge goal was also logistically difficult to realise, but he said: “My family and friends played a not just important, but crucial role, and my wife has been an incredible rock in supporting me behind the scenes.”
He described the generosity he’s experienced: “There’s a huge amount of good will out there and people have been incredibly kind on the way.”
Mr Robbins' JustGiving page is still open for donations: www.justgiving.com/page/alexwalks
One motoring company, Genesis, paid for Mr Robbins' hotel accommodation as their contribution, and two strangers put him up for a night after a social media appeal.
The walker said the challenge was worth it for him to pay back the “debt of gratitude” we owe to the armed forces: “In a small way I wanted to play my part in giving back to those people and finding a way to thank them for what they’ve done.”
He wanted to support a charity which is all about “turning people who have been discharged from the forces into successful, flourishing civilians who can come to terms with what might have happened to them and rebuild and recover.”
READ MORE: Missing woman last seen at Oxford train station located
Mr Robbins described the poignancy and camaraderie of the Race of Remembrance, describing it as “a remembrance service with endurance motor race draped around it”.
But it was also special for his own experience: “When I arrived on Friday, I walked into the circuit and walked around the track before I crossed the line, and they got out the chequer flag and lined the pit wall as I came across the line.
“It was an incredible way to finish, I was blown away,” he said.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now:
As a digital subscriber you will get: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/
-
Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
-
Advert-light access
-
Reader rewards
-
Full access to our app
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here