One million steps in support of Alzheimer’s Society

Kevin, 60, supported by his wife Victoria, also 60, successfully completed his challenge of walking over 900 km of the Camino Way Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago in Spain. In total, Kevin walked 909 km or 565 miles in 35 days of trekking – the equivalent of 1,227,080 steps.

His endeavour, supported by Victoria for two thirds of the Camino Way Frances, has raised thousands for Alzheimer’s Society in memory of his Aunty Carmel Taylor, his good friend and Nottingham Casuals RUFC legend Derek Hunter, and his next-door neighbour of many years and adopted grandmother to his children, Margaret Pulham. All three passed away recently due to complications associated with Alzheimer’s or Vascular Dementia within a three-month period which inspired Kevin and Victoria to take on the challenge.

It was particularly tough for Kevin, who has had six knee operations, including major rebuilds of both sides following sporting injuries.

Both Kevin and Vicky’s feet, knees and hips all took a real hammering from having to trek 25 km to 30 km a day in weather ranging from heavy snow over the Pyrenees to thirty degree roasting heat in the Meseta plains.

Kevin, who lost 10 kilos after burning 5,000 calories a day, said: “It was an amazing and memorable challenge and we’ve had the most incredible, emotional experience.

“We met some wonderful people, encountered huge generosity and support, and walked through fantastic areas, including mountains, grasslands, villages, towns and other communities.

“We’re so grateful to everyone who donated to our fundraising effort, which will help with research into the devastating condition of dementia.”

One of the main sponsors of the effort was Focus Consultants, the multi-disciplinary consultancy company founded more than 30 years ago by Kevin, which is based in Nottingham and has offices in Leicester and London.

As an experienced walker, Kevin was nicknamed ‘Saint John’ for his first aid and rescue of several pilgrims - providing everything from blister plasters, bio-freeze for sore feet and ibuprofen gel for sore legs, knees, hips and backs. On one memorable occasion he coerced a Spanish local to drive into the mountains to rescue an Australian police officer who had a six-inch infected blister and ended up in hospital for three days before she was allowed to continue the trek.

Kevin has listed his highlights of walking the Camino Way Frances trek, which include:

• climbing 1,200 metres up and out of Frances over the Pyrenees mountains into Spain in rain, sleet, snow with huge painful hailstones whacking into us;
• the amazing sight of hundreds of miles of grassland and wild flowers on the Meseta Plains in all directions like a ‘sea of green’ as far as the eye could see;
• walking into many a Basque Spanish village as if walking into a Clint Eastwood set on a spaghetti western film;
• walking and experiencing the famous Bull Run in Pamplona made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his books and now a world-wide attraction;
• walking above the clouds on the high path out of O’Cebreiro over the mountain tops, an amazing indescribable sight;
• experiencing a16-hour electrical and communications blackout in Viana, with wild stories abound of a cyber-attack and of a super power invading Europe. There were a lot of unfed concerned pilgrims and locals alike, and it felt very much like being in an apocalypse film, cleaning out the local supermarket of cold foodstuff and a very high police presence. Quite a scary but memorable day;
• the amazing heritage and architecture including cathedrals, monasteries, churches, public and historic buildings and impressive sculptures and landmarks along the Way;
• meeting fellow pilgrims, the people walking the Way, and hearing stories from all over the world about their journey and reasons for taking on the huge challenge;
• meeting three men called Bob, Steve and Tim from the neighbouring home village of Averham in Nottinghamshire who were also walking the Way. It’s a small world!;
• free red wine for pilgrims walking the Camino Way Frances from the multitude of vineyards and wine boutiques along the route especially in the Basque Rioja region and visiting the amazing wine cellar caves in the village of Reliegos which were very cool;
• being taught to sword fight by modern Templar Knights at one of the many celebration festivals along the Way;
• carrying four burden stones to commemorate our recent losses and then throwing them over your shoulder at the remembrance pile located at the Iron Cross two thirds of the way along the Camino Way Frances. This is supposed to help with the offload of your losses so that you can try to move on, and I must admit it helped a bit!;
• having to secure at least two ink stamps into the Pilgrims Passport each day from accommodation, visitor attractions, bars and restaurants to prove you have walked the Way. This proof of passage, which is audited at the Pilgrims Offices before they award you your completion certificates, is taken very seriously and is all very formal:
• securing half way and final completion certificates from the Pilgrims Offices based at Sahagun and Santiago;
• the amazing mass put on by Santiago Cathedral including the swinging Botafumeira, a huge flying metal container filled with incense, swung back and forth to cleanse the cathedral before the service to celebrate completion of the Way by the pilgrims in attendance. Many of us pilgrims were quite sweaty and smelly by then so understood the need for the incense!;
• much like the pope being given a new Pilgrim name in Latin which is Kevin’s case is ‘Coemgenum’, he’s sticking with Kevin!

If you would like to contribute to the fundraiser, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/kevin-osbon-6 to make a donation.