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Sunday 5th September 2010

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Category A award winner - Sally Wren

Sally Wren and her dog Mac

Sally Wren’s epic journey was a tremendous feat that began when she found herself a four-legged friend! Unfortunately, due to Mac the dog’s lively antics, Sally from Grindleford, Derbyshire, found herself having to move out of her home and back living with her parents. Feeling at a loss, she decided to turn things around and embark on her amazing adventure that lasted over 3 months and saw her raise £1250 for the Sheffield RSPCA!
This is her story.

“On January the 20th 2006 I rescued a crazy dog called Mac. From that moment forth my life changed beyond all recognition. Mac’s manic enthusiasm and lack of training soon sent my life into chaos. Sadly after 6 months my boyfriend (at the time) could bear it no more. Mac and I had to move out. As a result I found myself back at home with my poor long suffering parents. It soon became clear we were hindering their peaceful retirement. I felt close to despair, it was on the eve of my 30th birthday, all around me my friends were getting married, settling down and living grown up lives – and there was I, back in my teenage bedroom and my life ruled by my out of control dog.
Despite this my love for Mac was never in question and I felt determined to turn the situation into a positive. I decided I needed to do something that I would never have done if Mac wasn’t in my life. I decided I needed to go for a very long walk.

I had no idea at the time what walking Land’s End to John O’ Groats would involve. In fact if I am quite honest I didn’t even know exactly where they were! Despite this this, once the idea was in my head my enthusiasm was unwavering. With the help of Google, I soon set about making plans. I decided if I was going to walk the length of the country then I ought to go the most scenic route possible so I decided by walking along the South west coast past (I had no idea what the weather had in store then). My route then incorporated Offa’s Dyke, the Pennine Way and the West Highland Way. When I look back I can’t believe how naïve I was in every way at the beginning. I couldn’t even read a map (I soon learned). In fact I think I was surprised as anyone to find myself on the bench at Land’s End on the 11th June staring out to sea with an enormous rucksack and very excited dog by my side. It suddenly seemed like madness and in fact there was many a time when it proved to be just that!

I certainly hadn’t bargained on the weather and I can certainly testify that the South West coast path was not the most hospitable place to be during that very wet June in 2006! As I camped all the way I spent an incredible amount of time being extremely cold and very wet! My belongings got soaked and at times I slept in pools of water under a sodden sleeping bag with not a dry item of clothing on me. My tent eventually collapsed as the poles snapped under the pressure of wind and rain. My boots got soaked through and I got really bad feet and then the boots fell to bits. On top of all this Mac developed a cow phobia and we had to walk many extra miles to avoid cows. He even ran off over the cliff fleeing from bullocks and I had to rescue him from a precarious ledge. It was certainly a challenge but my determination never faltered. Not least as I was raising money towards the new RSCPA shelter in Sheffield and I was very determined to help other dogs like Mac find someone to love them as much as I did him.

Very sadly Mac had to drop out of the trip at Bristol due to a problem with his hip. Thankfully he now has two brand new hips and is racing around like mad once more. His shoes were filled by Bruno, my parents’ insatiably happy chocolate Labrador. He proved a most wonderful companion, not least as he showed no fear of cows what so ever and even greeted an enormous bull on the Pennine Way with a great big lick. He did have one flaw, he kept chewing my belongings. By the time we reached Scotland my sleeping bag was growing smaller by the day. As it proved increasingly inadequate I became colder by the night not helped by the fact that Bruno also kept hogging the camping mat. By the time we reached John O’ Groats he had also eaten most of the back of my coat as well. I must have looked a very sorry sight.

Despite all the hardship the trip was without doubt one of the best experiences of my life. This was in large part due to my wonderful canine companions who kept my spirits up throughout.

More than anything else I hope I am proof that you do not need lots of money, equipment or even experience to do the walk. I carried all my stuff in my rucksack and no back up. I even carried the huge amount of dog food an ever hungry Labrador requires. I myself survived very happily on bread rolls, tinned mackerel and Maltesers! Many campsites let me stay for free and the whole trip cost me very little. What you do definitely need however is a great deal of determination, perhaps a little touch of madness and most of all the ability to keep smiling. The trip taught me so much about myself and helped me regain my confidence. It also taught me that the world is still full of kind people. Whenever I feel a little jaded I just think back to all the generosity and hospitality I received along the way. I still keep in touch with many of the kind people who took pity on me in my bedraggled state and cheered my spirits.

Finally I have to confess Mac is as still as mad as ever but after all we went through in that wet June my love for him is sealed in stone.”

Updated: 19th March 2010