On Wednesday (Day 37) I was invited to Stormont and the Northern Ireland Assembly where I was invited to join Brenda Hale MLA. Brenda's husband was Captain Mark Hale who was serving the 2nd Battalion The Rifles. Mark died in hospital at Camp Bastion on 13 August 2009 after being caught in an IED (improvised explosive device) blast helping an injured soldier to safety whilst on patrol near Sangin, Afghanistan.
I was humbled to meet Brenda and it is difficult to find the right words to describe being in the presence of such a brave, compassionate and dedicated lady who exemplifies such inner-strength, devotion and determination. In addition to being a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) (a representative elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland), Brenda also gifts here time to The Soldiers' Charity whilst being a mother to her two daughters.
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| Leaving Stormont & the Northern Ireland Assembly on completion of 60 BRIT 2012 Challenge miles in 6 counties in 6 days |
It was my absolute pleasure to spend time talking to Brenda on my last day in Northern Ireland before flying back to England and also to have the opportunity to be shown around the Parliament Buildings at Stormont.
I left Northern Ireland with 1720 miles to go.
On Thursday (Day 38) After being away for over 10 days I needed some time to catch up on BRIT work emails and a stack of post. There was a BRIT 2012 Challenge planning meeting at Chichester College, kindly hosted by Lisa Humphreys. This was a great opportunity to see the planning team and to review the last few weeks as well as discuss future planning. The young people at the College are helping plan my venues and I always look forward to seeing their ideas. We have some super locations throughout March in the South West of England and I am looking forward to walking in all the Counties and Unitary Authorities of the South West including;
• Somerset
• Gloucestershire
• Wiltshire
• Dorset
• Devon
• Cornwall
• Bath & NE Somerset (Somerset)
• Bristol
• South Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire)
• Swindon (Wiltshire)
• Wiltshire (Wiltshire)
• Poole (Dorset)
• Bournemouth (Dorset)
• Torbay (Devon)
• Plymouth (Devon)
• Isles of Scilly (Cornwall)
• Cornwall (Cornwall)
Following the meeting I completed 6 miles with 1714 miles to go.
On Friday (Day 39) I caught up with the key supporters who gift their time to assist me and prepared for a weekend land planning meeting. Unfortunately, I came down with a bladder infection and felt pretty lousy throughout the day. Although I had a non-location day walking at home, I must admit it was tough given the infection. I know I've talked about this before, but bladder infections are common for people with my type of injury due to catheterisation. I managed 4 very slow miles and finished the day with 1710 miles to go.
On another note, I was deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of PC Rathband. My thoughts are with his family at this time. When you go through a traumatic situation, it doesn't just go away when the actual trauma has ended. I have learned over the last four years that there are good days and bad days, ups and downs as you transition. Some people refer to it as your "new normal." The life you had before the trauma and the life you have after the trauma are vastly different. It is a new normal, and in most cases it is not a new normal you would have chosen. So you are left each day trying to make sense of it all, and trying to build some kind of life with meaning for yourself.
People can shower you with attention and invite you to incredible events where you are meeting famous people, but at the end of the evening you go home to your thoughts and your new reality. This can be very difficult to make sense of, and I know there were times when I was doing my initial challenges back in 2009 that I felt like I was in some alternative universe. Celebrities and awards are something you usually read about or watch on the television. It is so removed from a regular person's life that when you find yourself as a guest at such an event it produces a physical and emotional high. Then you go home and the low can be even lower.
What we often see on television or read in the papers is only part of who a person is and their experiences. We all like to see people that overcome tragedy and obstacles, but we often forget that the journey is long, filled with sadness and at times despair. We need to support people and be there for them, not just in the happy moments but in the difficult times as well. I feel strongly that support must be on-going for people that have experienced trauma.
Police Constable David Rathband had the idea of starting the Blue Lamp Foundation whilst in his hospital bed recovering from horrific injuries after being shot by Raoul Moat whilst on duty.
David came to realise how some members of the emergency services and their families may experience significant financial hardship after being injured in the line of duty. He founded the Blue Lamp Foundation with the mission of providing emergency financial aid to cover unexpected costs such as hospital car parking charges, emergency child care costs and travel costs to help relatives visit from abroad. He launched the charity in October 2010 with an aim of raising £1million in the first three years.
If you would like to donate to David's Blue Light Foundation, the link is here; http://www.bluelamp-foundation.org/donate.html
On Saturday (Day 40) I had a meeting to discuss land for the BRIT Centre and still feeling weak from the Bladder Infection, gave my all to complete a further 8 miles to ensure I stay on track and not fall behind. This left me on 1702 miles and today, Sunday (Day 41) I completed 7 miles to hit my target of 1695 miles to be ready for tomorrow when I drive down to Somerset for the start of the South West region of England.
Tonight I am packing for the week and looking forward to a fresh new week and meeting young people who will be joining me on my walk.
With my very best wishes,
Phil