Dad brought to tears as he completes 100-mile trek to support his son's school
A dad trekked over 100 miles for his son's school.
Jonathan Davies took on the Cheshire Ring to help raise money for outdoor play equipment at Bosley St Mary's Primary School
In little over 29 hours, the 37-year-old engineer travelled 102.44 miles, taking 192,000 steps and burning 15,700 calories in the process.
Jonathan had originally aimed to complete the route in under 24 hours, however, he hopes his shortcoming can be a lesson for his son, Angus.
He said: "We ask our children every single day to do things they do not know they can do, yet as adults and role models we almost never step into the truly unknown.
"It is very powerful to let your kids see you try, fail, then try again.
"For me it's hugely important that failure is a lesson, not a judgement.
"So please, as a parent, try something you can't do and let them watch. Then try again and let them watch.
"It doesn't matter if that's decorating your house, doing some art or walking up a hill.
"Failures build us not the successes."
Jonathan set off from Bosley St Mary's on Thursday afternoon (April 3).
For around the first 60 miles, everything was going to plan.
However, pain in his knee forced Jonathan to slow down, eventually leaving him struggling to walk.
He said: "Marple was three stops from home but honestly it felt insurmountable.
"By this time, I was 80 miles deep and stopping for a little cry every miles or so, such was the pain in my knee.
"It took all my concentration to try to keep walking as evenly as I could to avoid setting off something else - something I have learned through previous sufferings."
After a lengthy stop in Bollington, which included some tears over his spilt chips, Jonathan decided he would plough on until the finish.
"I suspect I was in something of a daze by this stage as it really didn't feel like it had taken long to get from Bollington back to Cowley Farm, but it clearly took a few hours," Jonathan said.
"I had a huge welcome at the end of the canal from family and a huge cuddle from my boy which was a fantastic feeling.
"It was just the small task of the 1.9 miles back to the school to finish which also involved a small panic about my second tracking device dying on battery!
"It felt really good to have that last long mile to myself before arriving back to the school; where the school and village community had come out in force to give me a proper finish line tape and cheer me in.
"It was amazing, it was such a lift and helped all the pain fade away.
"I very grateful to all those who came out to welcome me back, to the school for staying open and allowing me to ring the school bell as I had at the start!"
Speaking a few days after completing the challenge, Jonathan said: "All in all, I am feeling good!
"My shoulders, back and hips are starting to feel 'normal' and my feet had now reduced back to normal size, having swollen up.
"My left knee is still the biggest problem, only time will if this is just swelling in the joint or something else that will require more targeted rehab."
He added: "A massive thank you to all the crew, particularly the safety biker who stayed for way longer than his agreed shift!
"It may have been me doing the miles but it really is a team effort and it would not have been a completion without the dedicated support of all!
"A very special commendation has to go to my wife Jenny, not only for crewing and supporting me unwaveringly, even sticking to my 'don't give me a way out' even when watching me in pain, which I know was hard, but for supporting the time and not insignificant costs involved with my hobbies."
At the time of writing, Jonathan has raised £2,652 for Bosley St Mary's Primary School.
You can donate by visiting his JustGiving page here.
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