DAYS 1-3 - 90 Mile Beach
Days 1-3 of my trek across the entire length of New Zealand
Every week, 12 people under the age of 35 die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.
Over 624 young people every year.
624 children, parents, siblings, partners, friends... 624 lives taken far too soon without warning.
I was one of those young men that suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, but I was incredibly lucky to survive. Within 4 months I was back to full time work and playing sport with little to no accommodations and just a little box in my chest to show for the ordeal.
Following this, I have decided the only logical course of action is to trek over 3000km from one end of New Zealand to the other in one go and document the entire journey on social media and a blog to raise money for Cardiac Risk in the Young... because I have far too much free time.
In support of
Since its formation in 1995, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) has been working to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). Amongst other things, they:
Promote and develop heart screening programmes for young people
Support young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions
Offer bereavement support to families affected by YSCD
Fund medical research
'Te Araroa' is the official name attributed to a trail which spans the entire length of New Zealand, from Cape Reinga (the Northern tip of the North Island) to Bluff (the Southern tip of the South Island).
The entire trail spans 3000km from tip to tip and at a pace of 25km per day takes the average hiker around 4 months to complete. For some reason, I've decided to complete it in one go, setting off in October 2024 .
I will upload daily updates of this hike across social media through both videos and photos. On top of this, I will maintain a regular blog on this site as I progress further along the trail.
I hope to raise awareness, support CRY, and raise money for cardiac screenings for young people across the UK. The more money I raise towards screenings, the more potential there is to find and diagnose a potentially life-threatening heart condition and treat it before it is too late.
Because nobody should have to rely on luck.
You can help me by following and supporting my journey. The bigger the audience, the bigger the scope, and the more money we can raise to help protect young people potentially at risk.
Donate!
Every penny raised brings us closer to funding more screenings for young people and helping CRY with their incredible work. The more screenings we can fund, the greater the likelihood someone will have an underlying heart condition diagnosed, potentially saving their life!
Follow!
Follow my socials and keep up with my blog to help me build an audience, see how I'm progressing and hopefully be entertained along the way!
Share!
Help me expand my audience and raise awareness for this incredible cause and CRY'S great work by sharing my blog, my socials and this website, as well as bringing more attention to the great work of CRY!