An inspiring dad from Stevenage who has transformed his life by shedding 10 stone completed a gruelling 26.7-mile walk at the weekend to raise cash for a cancer charity.
An inspiring dad from Stevenage who has transformed his life by shedding 10 stone completed a gruelling 26.7-mile walk at the weekend to raise cash for a cancer charity.
Trevor Broom weighed 25 stone two years ago and was struggling with everyday life and with his work as a joiner.
Concern for his health drove him to follow his wife Karen’s example and join Slimming World.
Two years later and a healthy, fit Trevor weighs just 14 stone, runs with Stevenage’s Fairlands Valley Spartans and has completed numerous runs and long walks.
At the weekend the step-dad of three took part in the Thames Path Mighty Hike for Macmillan Cancer Support – a physically demanding trek which he completed in eight hours.
The 53-year-old has already raised more than £1,000 from the hike and told the Comet it was worth all the exhaustion.
He said: “It was very hard, a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. There was not nearly as much support as there is for something like a marathon.
“The first half was fine, but then I took a 20-minute break.
“That was a big mistake. I should have carried on walking. It felt like I never got back into it after that and the second half was a lot more hilly.
“I had had enough at 17 miles, but I persevered.”
Trevor said he has received generous support from donors including staff at the Thomas Arms B&B in Llanelli – where he regularly stays with his wife – who donated a weekend for two which Trevor will auction off.
Trevor added: “We’ve been blown away by the amount of support we’ve had. I’m very happy to have raised more than £1,000.”
Trevor and Karen both volunteer for the Stevenage and North Herts Macmillan fundraising group and that was the impetus for Trevor to take on the mammoth walk – as well as his own brush with ill health when he suffered with a serious hernia earlier this year.
About his weight loss, he added: “It’s definitely a mindset you’ve got to change. You need to lose weight first and you’ve got to do it right with the right support.
“Once you start losing weight you want to lose more. You don’t have to lose out on anything. You can still eat nice food. My family can’t believe the difference.”
Trevor has completed a number of long distance walks and his first 10K run recently, with more challenges in the pipeline.
To donate to Trevor’s cause visit justgiving.com/trevorbroom.
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