A group of trekkers are today flying to the UK for a gruelling four-day, fundraising trek organised for the first time by the LifeCycle Foundation.

The LifeWalk Challenge will see participants walking an average of about 40km a day, covering a total of 160km (100 miles), along the length of the historic Roman structure known as Hadrian’s Wall. 

All money raised will go towards the foundation’s Renal Unit Support Hub (RUSH), through which renal patients in Malta and Gozo can get free counselling sessions, transport to evening treatment and free fitness sessions, among other benefits.

Participants have been training since Janu­ary as the challenge was originally set for April but had to be postponed due to the lockdown measures announced in March.

Once restrictions were lifted, the team started training every other Sunday together, by initially walking for 10km per day and gradually increasing the distance up to 35km a day. 

They trekked in the rain, in the scorching heat, on and off the road; some even trained with weights in their backpack. The athletes were also given full access to a fully equipped gym to use in preparation for the challenge. 

“Every participant has been training hard to improve their stamina and endurance, be it through cardiovascular training or extensive treadmill sessions, riding a bike for a few hours or even walking around Malta for 10 hours straight, just to get a glimpse of what the challenge would feel like,” Edward Hamilton, LifeCycle Foundation Malta documentary film-maker and PR and digital content creator, explains.

He adds that the mental aspect of such a challenge is as important as the physical aspect, however, he admits that “it is much harder to prepare for the mental challenges that await”.

The participants

Anyone could apply for the challenge and any age and fitness level were welcomed, however, not everyone managed to complete the training. 

“We initially started with 40 participants. Eight of them quit during the training session period as these proved to be very tough for them. We are now at 32 participants who are very eager, well-prepared and motivated to see this through,” Hamilton says.

The resulting team includes people from all walks of life, ranging from software and mechanical engineers to pensioners and teenagers. Ages, in fact, range from the early 20s to the mid-60s.

Hamilton notes that some are professional athletes while others are long-distance and experienced trekkers and hikers. A couple of LifeCyclists are also taking part in the challenge.

“They know what kind of tough and exciting challenges the foundation  rganizes and are very keen to continue helping out in its mission.”

The route

The route chosen crosses the entire width of the UK. Known as Hadrian’s Wall, the trek is full of history, rough terrain, beautiful countryside with stunning views and long stretches of open spaces offering all sorts of challenging scenarios.

Hamilton points out that LifeCycle’s founder, Alan Curry, is also originally from Newcastle and the group will be crossing through his old hometown as they head for the final checkpoint. 

LifeCycle Foundation’s chairperson,  Shirley Cefai and her daughter, Cristina ‒ both cyclists from multiple LifeCycle Challenges ‒ have already done the walk together and have returned from their pre-visit a few weeks ago. 

“They scouted out the best possible route and checkpoints and got a real glimpse of what the challenge would feel like. They returned with a perfect route, sore muscles and plenty of valuable knowledge and feedback for the challengers. Admittingly, it was one of the toughest challenges they both ever endured,” Hamilton says.

He describes the terrain as being very uneven with very cold and wet mornings. This leads to the terrain becoming slippery and boggy, making it very hard to walk as every step of the way gets heavier with the mud accumulating at the bottom of one’s boots. 

During the walk itself, participants will be allowed to stop for breaks whenever they need to but these have to be as short as possible and are not really recommended

“The days on the pre-visit were either too hot or too wet. Some of the higher altitude parts were affected by strong winds, making certain trek points very challenging to move forward.

“On a positive note, we are rewarded with beautiful idyllic countryside scenes. There are drop-offs and hill climbs, narrow passageways and long paths, alongside heri­tage sites and ancient Roman architecture remains scattered along the way.”

If they are lucky, participants will have about five hours of rest per night. They will be sleeping in dorm-room-style bedrooms in very basic, hostel-style accommodation.

During the walk itself, participants will be allowed to stop for breaks whenever they need to but these have to be as short as possible and are not really recommended.

“It is very dangerous to walk this route at night, so everyone has been advised to be in by sunset. This makes breaks during the trek itself a luxury that cannot be really afforded,” Hamilton notes.

‘Excitement and positive nervousness’

Despite all the above challenges, the group is on tenterhooks as the much-awaited day of departure has arrived. For most, it will be the most challenging adventure they have ever faced.

“As per every challenge organised by the LifeCycle Foundation, excitement and posi­tive nervousness can be felt everywhere. Participants are transforming anxieties to motivations and fears into determinations. All in all, the team’s attitude is calm and it feels like we are all ready and eager to get this challenge started,” Hamilton says.

The LifeWalk Challenge was originally organised instead of the LifeCycle Challenge, which had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Hamilton reveals that the foundation is planning to continue organising the LifeWalk Challenge alongside the Life­Cycle Challenge in future.

“We believe both events can be held every year in aid of the renal unit, even though it presents plenty of logistical and administrative challenges. We are already considering two different locations for next year’s LifeWalk and we are definitely ready to move forward with the cycling challenge in South America next year,” he enthuses.

He also stresses how important their cause is and urges people to donate.

“Kidney disease is on the rise in Malta and it can affect everyone on some level or another. We all suffer from some sort of hypertension or stress and some of us do not have healthy eating habits, which leads to obesity. These are the main causes of kidney failure.

“We understand that everyone can get sick with this disease, so we need to do our best to keep on improving the infrastructure and support system of the renal unit patients. LifeCycle is also the only NGO dedicated to kidney failure support and has been raising money for the cause for over 20 years.”

Donations can be sent via Revolut on +356 9932 9101, by Paypal ‒ https://buff.ly/ 35g17CC or via the landlines 5160 2020 for €10, 5170 2005 for €15 or 5180 2006 for €25. 

One can also visit the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LifeCycleChallenge or website https://lifecyclefoundation.com/crowd-funding/.

A full documentary by Sprout Media will be produced and eventually launched on the LifeCycle’s Foundation social media platforms towards the end of this year. 

The title sponsor of the LifeWalk Challenge is Nescafé. Other sponsors include Chic Physique, in Naxxar.