Great Wall of China trek for Treetops Hospice

After successfully losing four and a half stones in the past year, Debbie Sewell, 46, wanted to do something she never could have done before.

She said: “I was looking at different charity walks and there was one from London to Brighton but I wanted to go big.

“I thought if I’m doing it I might as well go all out.”

Next October Debbie will be flying to Beijing where she will start her nine day journey but her training and fundraising has already begun.

Debbie said: “My training is going slowly. I have lost four and a half stone in the last year and I’ve still got a little bit to go.

“I’ll get there, slowly but surely.

“I started out only being able to walk two miles but now I’m up to seven miles.

“I need to get it up to 20 miles a day which I hope to get to before the summer is out.”

Debbie is raising funds for Treetops Hospice where her mum is a volunteer.

She said: “They also helped a relative with home care earlier this year.”

Debbie has set herself a £3,000 target but she wants to raise as much as she can.

She said: “I have raised £500 already in two months through donations and a raffle.”

To raise further funds Debbie is holding a tombola in June and also she is hosting a Firewalk on Saturday, July 23.

The trek of the Great Wall lasts five days where Debbie will be walking for around seven hours a day.

The weather is expected to be dry with the day starting off cold but then becoming mild.

Debbie said: “We are not staying on the tourist route and some of the steps are as high as my waist.

“But I am more worried about coming down.

“I have only got small strides so I walk twice as much a day so I am trying to extend my stride.”

Debbie is now making sure she has everything she needs for the trek.

She said: “They sent us a kit list which was humungous. I had most of the stuff but some of it needs replacing.

“I had to buy walking poles which I brought from a Treetops shop.”

Debbie will be walking with a group as a minumum of 20 is required to do the challenge but she is yet to meet anyone else.

She said: “I would like to meet some of them beforehand but if not we will all meet at the airport in London.

“I am really excited about it. I have lost a lot of weight and I now want to go to the next step.”

To make a donation to Debbie visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Debbie-Sewell-Oct and for more information about the Firewalk visit www.facebook.com/events/1170273269658618/.