Steve and his wife, Rebecca, suffered the loss of their child, due to an ectopic pregnancy in 2016, while Steve was serving with the Royal Military Police in Germany. Although the German hospital was very good, there was a lack of support. This led to the pair conducting research on the internet and coming across The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, enabling them to obtain information about what had happened and more importantly, how to start to cope with their loss.
Rebecca had to have both of her Fallopian tubes removed and as such, they were informed that their only option to conceive would be via IVF. The pair underwent five unsuccessful rounds. Thankfully, their sixth round was successful and the pair now have an 18-month-old daughter.
Steve decided that he wanted to raise funds for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust as the Trust receives no government funding and he came up with the notion of walking around the coastal path of the Isle of Wight, where the family now lives. Steve knew that he’d have to do something extra, so he planned to complete the recommended 6 day trek in 3 days, while being entirely self-sufficient and carrying everything he needed on his back (an extra 20kg of weight!).
To train for the trek, Steve conditioned himself by walking around local routes, while carrying his daughter on his back. He set up a ‘Go Fund Me’ page and set about advertising the event with family and friends. His story aired on local news networks too.
Steve set off from Cowes and travelled round the island in an anti-clockwise direction. The trek was emotional for Steve, as he completed 24 miles on the first day, camping overnight at Freshwater Bay; 27 miles on the second, camping overnight at Bembridge and 16 miles on the third day, finishing in East Cowes. This distance and pace took its toll on Steve, as he received severe blisters on both feet. The last 16 miles saw Steve walking ‘heel-to-toe’, with each step giving more pain. He knew that if he stopped to rest, he may not be able to start again, so kept pushing through the pain.
He took pictures and compiled videos during the trek, which were shared on social media so people could follow his progress. He completed the trek in just two and a half days. The hardship paid off as over the course of the trek, Steve managed to exceed his targeted sum of £1,000 including the ‘Go Fund Me’, Facebook donation and a generous donation from his Freemason lodge.
Now that Steve’s blisters have almost recovered, he is currently trying to plan another fundraising activity (something that will be less strenuous on his feet!).
If you are inspired by Steve’s achievement and would like to raise funds and awareness for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, please visit our fundraising page.