Cheltenham man conquers Camino de Santiago trail as part of epic fundraising challenge in memory of

Matt Miles has completed the famous Camino de Santiago trail, walking nearly 900km as part of his ‘Miles for Katy’ fundraising campaign, which has already raised over £9,000 for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice. His initial target of £10,481, based on Katy’s police collar number 1481, is already within reach thanks to the incredible support in memory of his wife, who was cared for at the hospice at the end of her life.

Katy, a former Detective Sergeant at Gloucestershire Constabulary, was first diagnosed with cancer in 2016. The hospice had an enormous impact on the whole family as Matt shared: “Katy spent her final three weeks at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, and I lived there with her, along with her sister, Lucy. We couldn’t have asked for more support, everyone made an impossibly difficult time bearable.”

Although the journey was a solo one, Katy was never far from Matt's mind, he said: “She had always wanted to do the Camino de Santiago trail. There’s a point halfway where the tradition is to leave something from home. I took along a pair of her earrings and left one there, so a part of her is on the trail.”

From rugged mountainous terrain to coastal paths, the route Matt took was challenging, but the support he received from people back home kept him going, he explained:
“One day it rained heavily and I had booked myself into the wrong accommodation. That night I checked my fundraising page and, incredibly, I had received a £500 donation. It completely turned my day around.”

The people Matt met along the way were another source of motivation and inspiration: “halfway along I met someone else walking the trail. We ended up eating dinner together and discovered we were in the same position - both having lost our wives last year. That was a very poignant moment.”

Reflecting on what Katy would make of his incredible achievement Matt said: “She would be immensely proud of me for completing it. She would have enjoyed every moment if she had been part of it, she loved talking to people and would have been chatting to everyone along the way.”

Completing the Camino de Santiago trail is one more step along Matt’s fundraising journey, which finishes with the London Marathon next year. “I’m looking forward to the rest of the challenges I have lined up over the coming months. Next up is the Big Dip in Cheltenham on 7 December, a cold-water event at Cheltenham lido. I’m not usually a fan of swimming, so this one will definitely feel like a challenge for me.”

You can donate to Matt’s fundraising here: Matthew Miles is fundraising for Sue Ryder
Find out more about the Big Dip Cheltenham here: sueryder.org/bigdipcheltenham

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