In 2017 former Paratrooper, Christian Lewis had hit rock bottom, suffering with depression so severe he would shut himself in his bedroom for weeks.
Now he is walking the whole of the UK to raise funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, who helped him back on his feet. Ben Fogle caught up with Chris on the Jurassic Coast to film him for New Lives In The Wild on Channel 5.
Chris has been fundraising for SSAFA ever since August 2017 when he decided to set off on his epic trek. He took £10 and a bit of camping gear and set off to raise money by walking the entire coastline of the British Isles.
Five years on and his circumnavigation of the UK is nearly done. He started in Swansea and is currently in Devon.
In Northern Ireland Chris rescued a dog, Jet, who will not leave his side. In the Highlands he met a girl, Kate, who also has not left his side since, and they have had a baby, Magnus, who travels with them in a papoose. They used to wild camp along their way, but with the arrival of baby Magnus, they purchased an old VW campervan, so now live in relative luxury. They are adventurers in the true sense of the word – especially in the recent inclement weather!
Kate left her teaching job in London to seek a little adventure in life. She consequently found Chris.
Kate said:
“There’s a strong spirituality to the fact I came to be on this walk. I ended up meeting Chris in, what felt like, very serendipitous circumstances. To then end up following an even bigger inner calling – the call to a life of adventure, to the great outdoors, and to make more of a difference by helping others on a wider scale.”
Currently Chris and Kate have raised over £280,000 for SSAFA. With a few hundred miles to go, Chris is confident he will hit his £300,000 target.
Chris says:
“People have been so generous and we have come so far! We are totally determined to reach £300,000. I think we can do it. No doubt about it”
To fund their travels and raise more money for charity, Chris has written a book about his adventures in lockdown, pre-Kate, on a deserted Highland island called Hildesay. Finding Hildasay is a brutal and beautiful true story of depression, survival and the meaning of home.
Chris’ episode of New Lives in the Wild airs on Channel 5 at 9pm on Tuesday 28 February
Chris’ book can be purchased online through SSAFAstore.org.uk
