A police sergeant is strolling over 260 miles from Cornwall to London – with no cash, no meals, and no plans for the place he'll sleep every night time.
Veteran fundraiser Tom Harrison, 46, is probably higher referred to as ‘Mr Gorilla’, however this time he has ditched the furry go well with for the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
His newest charity mission sees him depend on the ‘kindness of strangers’ to finish the trek, which he began at Land’s Finish on September 12.
We caught up with the dad-of-two someplace close to Taunton, after he had been strolling round 20 miles a day for ten days.
He was feeling drained however motivated, and had managed to search out someplace to put his sleeping bag each night time, whether or not that was somebody’s backyard summer season home, a tent or a lodge room going spare.
‘When it comes to getting individuals to offer me meals on the way in which, I simply should go and knock on individuals’s doorways and inform them my story, after which hope that they’ll give me a minimum of one thing,’ he advised Metro.co.uk.
‘It’s not all the time what I would like – I’ve had numerous bananas and apples and typically I simply want a sandwich!’ So I all the time do throw in, ‘have you ever bought any bread?!”’
Maybe these serving to him with fruit had been pondering of his gorilla alter ego, after he briefly grew to become well-known for crawling the size of the London Marathon elevating over £26,000 for The Gorilla Organisation.
This time round, he has to date raised £3,763 for the Ukraine Disaster Attraction run by the British Pink Cross Society.
Naturally, he hasn’t had solely constructive welcomes from everybody he tries to get assist from alongside the way in which – as some discover it a bit unusual that a stranger is asking to sleep of their backyard.
Remembering one event in Cornwall, he advised Metro.co.uk he might see an out constructing in a backyard and requested ‘Any likelihood I might sleep in your summerhouse?’
‘They mentioned, “Oh, no, we take safety very severely.” Which is truthful sufficient. There’s no level arguing with anyone.
‘On the finish of the day, I'm asking one thing of them. They’re completely entitled to both say no and even clear off after which I simply have to just accept that.
‘After which additionally know that there'll all the time be one thing else.’
He had higher luck in Camelford, when a pair known as Annie and Geoff did let him sleep of their summer season home – and even cooked him some chilli.
One other man with a summer season home – in addition to a pool and listed walled backyard – additionally let him keep in a single day in Durston close to Taunton, and cooked up a bowl of pasta as effectively.
And a lady in Bruton, Somerset, even gave him a handknitted doll sporting the colors of the Ukrainian flag after he stopped to speak.
‘I'm going to offer it to a Ukrainian baby who lives with my mate’s good friend after I get again to London,’ he mentioned.
Tom, who took go away from the Metropolitan Police in London to hold out the problem, mentioned he tries to be informal when asking for assist – even when he hasn’t discovered something to eat for ages.
‘Even when I’m ravenous, or I’m fairly fearful that there received’t be anyplace to remain, I don’t present that,’ he explains.
‘As a result of my seems of desperation would possibly cross on to them after which they’d assume, truly, we don’t need this man right here!’
By round 5pm he is able to discover someplace to place down his backpack, because it will get ‘fairly chilly at night time – down in the direction of zero so I don’t actually wish to be outdoors’.
To assist clarify issues, he has his charity web page handy when knocking on doorways to point out individuals why he’s doing the problem.
Some strangers have helped him out, however he has additionally had success with resorts such because the Vacation Inn close to Bodmin, who let him keep in a room that wasn’t booked when he confirmed up within the night.
He additionally turned to some distant kin dwelling alongside the route, whose numbers his mum gave him beforehand, and on a very determined night time bought picked up on the roadside by one.
Most of his route is taking him alongside pathways much less busy roads, so he thinks by the tip he can have walked considerably additional than the 263 miles it could take alongside fundamental roads.
His motivation to maintain going is seeing donations are available in to his JustGiving web page, and from pondering of the difficulties confronted by individuals in Ukraine who at the moment are seven months right into a struggle of aggression began by their bigger neighbour Russia.
‘Individuals nonetheless need assistance, in order that’s why I set foot on this barely bonkers trek,’ he mentioned.
Regardless of the dearth of constant meals or bedding, what he’s lacking most is his sons aged 9 and 11.
They've been cheering him on with movies from again residence in Amersham, doing their very own mini treks in solidarity.
He thinks he might attain London in round every week’s time, arriving anytime from Thursday onwards.
The end line shall be in Parliament Sq., the place he's hoping to fulfill somebody vital to have fun the completion.
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