Andrew Leach walks 850 miles in mother's memory

Andrew, created his watershed walk in memory of his late mother, Irene Goodman who had dementia for 15 years before passing away in 1999. Andrew started walking on 16 September from Kirtomy, near Bettyhill, crossing through the middle of Britain before finishing in Poole, Dorset this week.

Andrew said

'One of the reasons I retired early was because I wanted to develop other aspects of myself before dementia hit me, if it was going to. My mother died as a direct result of 15 years of dementia. Her mother had dementia but at a later age, and my uncle also. I have always wanted to help fight this disease, and if I were to start my medical career again, I would aim to research into it.'

Despite facing many aches and pains along the way, Andrew completed a route through the middle of the country, with points marked so that they were halfway between the west and east coast. So far, he has raised nearly £7,000 on behalf of people living with dementia.

Describing the final steps of his walk, Andrew said

'The wind got up as we walked along the beach at Sandbanks, with the dramatic backdrop of Old Harry Rocks, then we turned into Poole Bay itself. Brownsea island, with its castle, looked upon us, and for me, brought back intense and emotional memories of nearly 40 years ago. This was where I met my wife, this was where I started on my eventual career in anaesthesia and intensive care, and was the place most associated with my memories of my mother before she developed dementia.'