Man sets off on 152-mile walk through towns spelling out Ukraine including Newark

A dad is today (Monday, March 27) setting out on a week-long 152 mile walk through towns spelling Ukraine, which includes Newark.

Dan Zenchuk, of Stamford, whose parents are from the war-hit country, has been helping with a Ukrainian support group for about two months but wanted to do his own challenge.

Before he's even set off today, his total from the walk alone stands at £7,500 and he's hoping to break the £10,000 barrier before the week is out.

The father-of-two will set off from Uppingham at about 11am, heading 13 miles to Kettering. From there, he will travel to Rugby, followed by Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Ilkeston and Newark, before finishing in Empingham on Saturday. The final walk will be the longest at about 36 miles but most of the walks will be about marathon length.

"It will be tough but the support will spur me on," said Dan, a managing director of a logistics firm.

The walk will prove particularly challenging for Dan. Born with club foot, Dan underwent corrective surgery on his right ankle as a child but it has left him with painful tendonitis and arthritis.

He hopes a sturdy ankle strap and painkillers will be enough to see him to the end, even though he admitted to not having done much exercise for a couple of years.

"I am sure it will hurt but not that much that I won't be able to complete it," he said. "I used to do a lot of ultra marathons so I know I can do the distance but it was the problems with my ankle that stopped me."

He took part in a charity football match on Friday night and said that while he was excited for his journey to start today, he's also aching a bit from that.

Dan, like many of us, has watched the war unfolding with horror. His great aunts and uncles live in Lviv, which was bombed at the weekend.

"The attacks have been quite sporadic there but I think you can't really feel safe anywhere for too long.

"It's absolutely horrific what's going on. I've visited Ukraine and the scariest thing is seeing places where I've got pictures of myself just being completely destroyed, especially in Kyiv which was a beautiful city. It might be happening a long way away but it makes it feel a lot closer."

To donate to his page, click here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/walkforukraine

The money Dan raises from his walk raises will go towards humanitarian aid. The group he is part off is sending three lorry loads a week out.