Setting off late June, Dave Thomas who is battling to rebuild his life following a brain injury, has trekked the length of the country together with his four-year-old daughter Willow. A mixture of walking, or on his shoulders, Willow has covered 500 miles of the 1,200-mile journey. Dave credits Willow with giving him the motivation and strength to complete the epic feat.
Dave, now 40 and living in London, sustained several brain injuries playing rugby in his mid-30s. Despite his efforts to continue as normal, the injury caused a range of long-term effects that put strain on his career and pressure on him and his family.
“I felt as though I had lost my identity and I wasn’t in a great place, but Covid and lockdown made things even worse. Over a year of cancelled medical appointments and not seeing family or friends meant I was scared and lonely. I was as low as a person can be.
“My sole remaining motivation was my wife and children, but they were stuck in a house with me at my worst. One day, my daughter Willow asked me why I was sad. I explained that I was just tired and poorly, but I was trying to be happy for everyone.
"What makes you happy Daddy?" she asked. I told her that "spending time with you, Ash and your mum makes me happy. Like when we go for a walk".
"Let's go for a walk then Daddy" she said.
“So we did. Walking every day with Willow gave me a glimpse of hope, as the miles passed, the fog gradually lifted and those daily walks, chatting and singing or just walking in comfortable silence, were the life support I needed to make it through the darkness. And, as the world opened up, I finally received the medical support I needed and completely overhauled my life. I started a psychology Masters to understand more about trauma and brain injuries and see if I can figure out my own head, I started walking and running hundreds of kilometres every month and I've been sober for 18 months. Walking with Willow saved my life.
“Now, after the pandemic, I guess we have taken it to the next level by walking the length of the country and we have finished just in time for her to go back to school!
“Willow walked with me for 500 miles, she walked for as long as she wanted, sometimes for several miles per day and then I carried her for the rest. She was 18 kilos at the start, but I swear she doubled during the walk!”
“We also took the time to smell the flowers and appreciate nature and seeing Willow’s love of the outdoors develop has been one of the most rewarding things”
Despite battling through rugged terrain, difficult trails and the extreme heat of a record-breaking summer, Dave kept his spirits up by charting the progress on his Instagram page, @dave_unfiltered, where he has written about the wonderful locations he has passed through and the different perspectives on life that the challenge has given him.
Through his determined efforts, Dave has raised £15,000 so far for Headway - the brain injury association and continues to grow this support through his JustGiving page.
BackWe did it. £10,000 raised for @HeadwayUK to support life after brain injury.https://t.co/30n1ZKV2a0
— Dave Thomas (@ItsDTPT) August 19, 2022
I've walked over 1000 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats (150 miles to go).
If you want to follow the journey go here for daily journals: https://t.co/cHf66sq8i9 pic.twitter.com/pURHiJfxCq
