Hotel boss Botho Stein walked for more than 24 hours to raise thousands of pounds for The South Bucks Community Hospice.
The father-of-two, 37, took part in the epic 100km Thames Path
Challenge on September 9 to back the charity which helped a friend, Andrew Cox,
who is fighting a terminal illness.
Botho, Deputy General Manager of The May Fair Hotel in London, was thrilled to have completed the challenge, but totally exhausted by the end of it, at 8am the following morning.
“The second half was super super tough, and the whole course took a little longer than 24 hours,” he said. “It was a great experience but I am not a sporty person at all so I am not looking for a repeat of this any time soon!”
The walk began in Putney in London and ended in Henley, Oxfordshire. Botho walked with colleague Caroline Marais and, together, the pair are expected to have raised a staggering £5,770 for the hospice, based at Butterfly House in High Wycombe. They were helped by a donation from their company, Edwardian Hotels London.
Botho was praised by his friend Andrew Cox, 53, who lives in Hughenden Valley, with wife Theresa and children Oliver and Joseph, aged 11 and 9 respectively. The Cox family joined the track at 50km to cheer on Botho.
Andrew, who suffers from Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), said: "We are incredibly touched by Botho's fundraising. We absolutely know that Botho and his family will be supporting us. However, we believe strongly in supporting The South Bucks Community Hospice and know that many other people will benefit from this marvellous effort. I know how difficult this length of walk is, let alone the time he needs to complete it in. My family and I are in complete awe."
Botho added: “One cannot imagine how challenging the distance is both mentally and physically. One problem is the obvious, the increasing pain in your feet and legs, the blisters, the shoulders from carrying the backpack. But you are also fighting the fatigue walking through the night that can make you nauseous. It is pitch black dark and cold for hours. Even once you've completed 90%, you are still over two hours away from the finish and that all plays on your mind. I had Andy's trekking poles in my hands; they helped me to remember why I am doing that and why I needed to finish despite the ever-growing pain. My family and family Cox have really helped me finish this endurance challenge by coming to various points along the path. I am glad it is over.”
To help Botho help the hospice, go to Justgiving.com/fundraising/botho
