🌊 Walking the whole of the South West Coast Path on my own, over 8 weeks, starting 23rd April 2026 for The National Brain Appeal

A personal journey shaped by love, loss, and hope

I’m raising funds for The National Brain Appeal, an organisation that supports pioneering research into a wide range of neurological conditions. This cause is deeply personal to me.

Alzheimer’s has touched my family in devastating ways.

I lost my mum to Alzheimer’s in 2003.

My brother Mike died in 2022 from early-onset Alzheimer’s.

My sister Deirdre was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2025.

In 2024, I received my own diagnosis: Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA), a condition closely linked to Alzheimer’s pathology.

Both Alzheimer’s and CAA are caused by the build-up of amyloid-beta protein. In Alzheimer’s, it builds up between brain cells; in CAA, it builds up in the walls of the blood vessels in the brain.

Over 90% of people with Alzheimer’s also have some degree of CAA. While Alzheimer's causes memory loss, CAA weakens blood vessels, leading to microbleeds, a higher risk of haemorrhagic stroke and cognitive decline

In 2025, I began attending Professor David Werring’s specialist clinic at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology where I’ve seen firsthand the importance of research, expertise, and hope.

Despite everything, I’m walking the whole of the South West Coast Path on my own over 8 weeks, starting 23 April 2026—630 miles of rugged coastline—to raise funds for the research that could change the future for families like mine.

This walk is my way of honouring those I’ve lost, supporting those still fighting, and contributing to the breakthroughs that might one day prevent others from experiencing the same heartbreak.

Every donation, every share, every message of support helps fuel both the research and my steps along the path.

#oldmanwitharucksack

#SWCP

#NationalBrainAppeal