Founding partner of multi-disciplinary company Focus Consultants, Kevin Osbon and his wife Victoria Osbon have undertaken a mammoth effort for charity, raising more than £6,000 for Alzheimer’s Society after losing three people close to their hearts.
Kevin, 60, supported by Victoria, also 60, successfully completed his challenge of walking over 900 km of the Camino Way Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago in Spain. In total, Kevin walked 909 km or 565 miles in 35 days of trekking – the equivalent of 1,227,080 steps.
His endeavour, supported by Victoria for two thirds of the Camino Way Frances, has raised thousands for Alzheimer’s Society in memory of his Aunty Carmel Taylor, his good friend and Nottingham Casuals RUFC legend Derek Hunter, and his next-door neighbour of many years and adopted grandmother to his children, Margaret Pulham.
All three passed away recently due to complications associated with Alzheimer’s or Vascular Dementia within a three-month period which inspired Kevin and Victoria to take on the challenge.
It was particularly tough for Kevin, from Fiskerton, who has had six knee operations, including major rebuilds of both sides following sporting injuries.
Both Kevin and Vicky’s feet, knees and hips all took a real hammering from having to trek 25 km to 30 km a day in weather ranging from heavy snow over the Pyrenees to thirty degree roasting heat in the Meseta plains.
Kevin, who lost 10 kilos after burning 5,000 calories a day, said: “It was an amazing and memorable challenge and we’ve had the most incredible, emotional experience.
“We met some wonderful people, encountered huge generosity and support, and walked through fantastic areas, including mountains, grasslands, villages, towns and other communities.
“We’re so grateful to everyone who donated to our fundraising effort, which will help with research into the devastating condition of dementia.”
One of the main sponsors of the effort was Focus Consultants, the multi-disciplinary consultancy company founded more than 30 years ago by Kevin, which is based in Nottingham and has offices in Leicester and London.
As an experienced walker, Kevin was nicknamed ‘Saint John’ for his first aid and rescue of several pilgrims – providing everything from blister plasters, bio-freeze for sore feet and ibuprofen gel for sore legs, knees, hips and backs.
On one memorable occasion he coerced a Spanish local to drive into the mountains to rescue an Australian police officer who had a six-inch infected blister and ended up in hospital for three days before she was allowed to continue the trek.
Kevin has many highlights from walking the Camino Way Frances including climbing 1,200 metres up and out of Frances over the Pyrenees mountains into Spain in rain, sleet, snow with huge painful hailstones whacking down; the amazing sight of hundreds of miles of grassland and wild flowers on the Meseta Plains in all directions like a ‘sea of green’ as far as the eye could see; experiencing a 16-hour electrical and communications blackout in Viana; amazing heritage and architecture including cathedrals, monasteries, churches, public and historic buildings and impressive sculptures and landmarks along the Way; and meeting fellow pilgrims walking the Way, and hearing stories from all over the world about their journey and reasons for taking on the huge challenge.
Coincidently he also met three men – Bob, Steve and Tim – from his neighbouring home village of Averham, Nottinghamshire who were also walking the Way.
The Camino Way Frances is an ancient pilgrimage route and reckoned to be the most famous of the Camino de Santiago routes.
If you would like to contribute to the fundraiser, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/kevin-osbon-6 to make a donation.
