A WOMAN from Chipping Norton took a seaside stroll with the dog to a new level by walking the entire length of the Welsh coast in her latest charity challenge.

Liz Atkins, 68, trekked 757 miles over six-and-a-half weeks with her friend John Plant, 74, from Cirencester in Gloucestershire, and dog Matty.

They raised £9,700 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity Mrs Atkins has supported for the past 15 years.

She said: “It was a wonderful experience and we can hardly believe what we have done.

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“When we looked at the map of Wales it didn’t seem possible but we had a lot of support to realise our dream.

“It has the most glorious scenery and is really stunning.

“At times it was tough. There are parts of the coast that are very demanding and it’s hard on the legs.”

Mrs Atkins, who lives in New Street with her husband John, first began raising money for the charity in 1999, a year after her friend’s daughter died from leukaemia at the age of 16.

Since then she has raised about £50,000 by taking part in treks to far-reaching places like Machu Picchu in Peru, Everest base camp and Kenya.

But the Welsh trek was her longest distance yet, taking her and Mr Plant along footpaths following or running close to the coast.

They stayed in B&Bs, cottages and with friends, setting off from Chester on August 26 and finishing in Chepstow on Saturday, October 11, walking up to 18 miles a day.

Retired training consultant Mrs Atkins, who has family from Wales, said: “I was inspired to do what I could after Paula’s death.

“She was one of the brightest and the best but was treated and died in a ward full of elderly people.

“I don’t want other teenagers to have the same experience as she did.

“This challenge was very different as I haven’t done anything as long as this.

“The usual treks are six to seven days and at high altitude so at least we were at sea level.

“You can’t really compare Machu Picchu to Pembrokeshire but I think it reminded us just what a beautiful country Wales is.

“We saw the end of summer through to autumn but we were lucky with the weather.

“It was nice to get back in my own bed.”

The charity’s regional fundraiser Emily Cooper said: “The sponsorship money from the incredible challenge will help us make sure young people with cancer don’t feel alone.”

Mrs Atkins has also organised a concert by singer-songwriter Vikki Clayton at Chipping Norton School on Friday, November 14, from 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £12 – email liztravelling@gmail.com.

To donate to the cause, visit justgiving.com/Liz-John-Matty

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