Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James, is a 500-mile walk from St. John Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in North-West Spain.

Ed Nealon from Ashington and Chris Eyre from Findon will embark on this journey starting on September 5th this year, very kindly, in aid of The Budding Foundation. Please support their efforts and follow the link here to donate... 

 

Ed & Chris' inspiration for taking on this challenge came from the death of Ed's father, Ned Nealon, four years ago. Ned was a man of faith who believed in the power of walking to uplift the spirit and gain perspective. He had walked alongside Ed and his son Eddie in Donegal a few years earlier and had talked to Ed about the Camino.

Following Ned's death in January 2020, Ed and Chris decided to complete the full Camino in his memory. However, their plans were disrupted by Covid-19, and Ed's bypass surgery in 2022 and Chris's stroke in 2023.

During Chris's recovery, they both decided to realise their dream of walking the full route. The decision was made, and they began training seriously eight months ago.

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Both are walking in memory of Ned and very kindly, to support the Budding Foundation, aiming to raise £4000 to help purchase a lower and more recumbent trailer trike for Ryan, who lives in Steyning.

Ryan was born with portions of his brain inactive, resulting in the inability to walk or stand and suffering from global developmental delay (see here for more information about Ryan on our website).

 

Ed and Chris have been close friends for over 30 years, supporting each other through life's challenges, including serious health conditions and emotional turmoil.

They are both determined to realize their dream of walking the Camino and are willing to overcome any obstacles that come their way. They continue to train hard and explore various routes around Sussex in preparation.

 

The Camino de Santiago is the most popular route and will take Ed and Chris through several beautiful locations, including Roncesvalles, Navarran Valley, Puente La Reina, Estella, Burgos, León, Ponferrada, and Galician mountains.

They are excited to explore the stunning Romanesque architecture along the way and trek over the rolling hills of central Galicia to reach the granite towers of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

 

Ed and Chris share similar reasons for embarking on the Camino de Santiago: adventure, self-discovery, health, meeting people from all walks of life and every corner of the globe, physical challenge, spiritual reasons, and doing it before it is too late.

 

Ed and Chris have covered all expenses for completing the Camino, which means that 100% of any donations made will go directly towards helping Ryan. Please follow the link here to donate to make a difference to Ryan's quality of life. Any additional funds raised will be used by The Budding Foundation to further help and assist young people in need. 

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Ed and Chris express their love and gratitude to Karen, Niamh, Eddie, Hayley, Piers, Mia, and Finn for their love and support.