Former resident of Lympstone and Exmouth, Blue Wilson will soon be returning to the Exe Estuary and resuming her walk of the entire UK coastline.
Having reached Exmouth in an emotional reunion back in July Blue had to head back to work in Yorkshire and also a two week stint walking round the Orkneys. Returning to where she got to in Starcross next month however she will soon be setting out again on this next leg of her epic journey in aid of marine conservation.
Her next stint will be from October 19 walking for eight days back on the South West Coast Path continuing westwards from where she last got to at Starcross on the Exe Estuary. Then she shall return to the south west at Christmas.
Blue says that it will be 'wonderful' to be back where she lived, worked and studied in the early nineties and another opportunity to catch up with friends from the area. Upon reaching Exmouth in July she was also fortunate to meet up with the Topsham based founders of the Seahorse Trust who have benefited from a grant given by one of Blue’s chosen charities Sea Changers."
50 year old Blue lives and works in Selby, North Yorkshire and is also walking solo around the entire UK coastline in aid of two marine conservation charities. So far she has walked 3,080.47 miles in 176 days and reached as far south west as Starcross on the Devon coast and as far north west as Nedd in Lairg, western Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands in a continual line.
Andrew is support driver and drops Blue at her start points each morning then picks her up wherever she finishes. She has recently completed another twelve days
She has also walked as many walkable islands as possible along that route and completed the entire north and east coasts and most of the south coast. She is taking on this challenge in stages due to other commitments and has been alternating between heading north from last most northerly point reached and heading south from last most southerly point reached. Having rounded the corner at the top of Scotland she will be heading south along the west coast (of Scotland) and west along the south coast (of England).
Fundraising in aid of Surfers Against Sewage and Sea Changers Blue has raised £4,539 so far split between the two. Blue has set a fundraising target of £20000 per chosen charity by the end of the full challenge. Donate here.
"I have seen first-hand some of the great work my chosen charities have done and wants to help by contributing as much as possible to their future projects. My challenge is completely self funded including all travel to and from start and finish points, accommodation, sustenance and kit and I have been using weekends and annual leave off work to complete each stage.
"The most positive thing I have found most heartwarming though is the support and utter kindness and generosity of friends, family and complete strangers (many of whom will see my fundraising top that I wear whilst walking and stop me to ask about my challenge and often donate money too which I always add to my Just Giving total)."
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