This October I am going to Sri Lanka as part of the Ocean Stars volunteer team and as a fundraiser I decided to do a walk...

On Saturday 22nd July I set off from Windsor Castle on a walk along the river Thames towards central London with my final destination being Buckingham Palace.  

The first half of the day was very enjoyable as I walked 22 miles passing through picturesque regions of old Windsor and runneymede reaching Hampton Court Palace at 1pm.

Unfortunately in the afternoon the heavens opened and my waterproof jacket was put to good use. I found the 12 mile stretch between Teddington and Putney particularly difficult as the paths were littered with puddles as the rained poured and poured!

Nonetheless I reached Putney where I was greeted by my sister Amali who brought along water, sugary snacks and some much needed encouragement to keep me going.

Thankfully I found some much needed energy and strength and ploughed onto Battersea bridge where I was greeted by the rest of my family and OST trustee Jen.

Just 2 miles to go!

As we neared the finish the clouds cleared and the sun broke through. Passing through Chelsea and Victoria station, Buckingham palace still seemed ages away.

And then 14 hours 32 minutes 6 seconds and 42.64 miles later we arrived at Buckingham Palace where I touched the famous front gates to officially end the walk. What relief!

It was a truly gruelling experience but ultimately worth the effort. Having volunteered in Sri Lanka before for OST, I know how important their work is for granting access to education for young people in Sri Lanka.

I would like to thank everyone who donated and encouraged me along way. To my friend Jonny, fellow volunteers James, Jen, Chris and Aidan for walking with me en route and to my family for their support in the final stage.

October will come along very soon and I can't wait to go back to Sri Lanka and work with fellow volunteers on OST's various educational projects.

You can still donate via: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/danwalksroyal

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