A star from The Traitors will be heading to Powys this weekend as part of an epic charity walk.
Andrew Jenkins is set to arrive back in Wales for the first time in over a month as part of his challenging UK-first charity trek.
'The Big Trek’, will see Andrew raise funds and awareness for brain injury charity Headway by walking between castles in the UK.
The epic trek began on September 29 at the famous Scottish castle used to film The Traitors, and will end at Cardiff Castle in November.
It marks a major milestone for Andrew who was told - following a serious road accident when he was aged 21 - that he may never walk again.
“I am so enjoying seeing all these great places along the route, and meeting some lovely people along the way – the scenery has been incredible,” said Andrew.
“Headway does incredible work to support survivors of brain injuries and their families as it can have a huge impact on all of their lives too as my family and I found out following my accident.
"I’m delighted to be able to raise awareness and funds for their vital work through the trek."
In the next 10 days, the walk will take Andrew to Arddleen on Saturday (November 2), then onto Montgomery Castle on Sunday followed by Knighton, Gladestry and Talgarth next week.
Andrew's route
- Saturday, November 2 - Chirk Castle to Arddleen
- Sunday, November 3 - Arddleen to Montgomery Castle
- Monday, November 4 - Montgomery Castle to Knighton
- Tuesday, November 5 - Knighton to Gladestry
- Wednesday, November 6 - Gladestry to Talgarth
Andrew is walking 1,200km over 42 days, it is thought to be the first charity trek along this particular route.
He has already walked through Scotland and northern England, as well as visiting Northern Ireland along the way.
Andrew sustained a serious brain injury in the accident and was unable to continue his promising rugby career, however he was described by doctors as a ‘miracle patient’ after making a full recovery.
He’s also using the walk to raise awareness of mental health challenges, for men in particular, having experienced periods of poor mental health himself over many years. During the trek Andrew plans to do talks on wellbeing and mental health to a series of sports and community groups along the route.
“I’m also undertaking this challenge for everyone out there who has been told they can’t do something, who think they can’t achieve anything, and who have lost their self-belief, added Andrew.
“I want to show them that even though life can feel impossibly hard at times, there’s always a way forward - literally one step after the next can take you a long way.”
Charity donations can be made via Andrew’s Givestar page.
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