Islander is on the last leg of 150-mile cliff walk challenge
TODAY is the final day of Mark Prevel’s mammoth challenge to walk 150 miles and climb and descend the equivalent height of Mount Everest along Guernsey’s southern cliff paths.
Mr Prevel has been walking two lengths of the 15-mile stretch between the Octopus Restaurant and the Imperial Hotel each day since last Sunday, to raise money for Friends of Frossard Children’s Ward, Lungevity and Papworth Hospital.
The Guernsey Press caught up with him yesterday when he had just 30 of his 150 miles remaining.
‘It’s a very strange feeling, my feet and legs are sore when I first get up, but it’s like muscle memory and as soon as I’ve walked for a few minutes it feels normal again,’ he said.
‘The weather hasn’t been a problem – it’s mainly been light rain, which is really cooling and makes it easier for me to breathe.’
Mr Prevel is a survivor of emphysema, Crohn’s disease and three major lung surgeries, which caused him to completely transform his diet and lifestyle to be able to take on such challenges.
He has taken on smaller challenges such as half marathons and 2,000-mile walks, but this was his hardest one yet.
‘I’ve never doubted that I wouldn’t be able to finish it,’ he said. ‘It’s psychologically challenging as well as physically challenging, and once you start having self-doubts, that grows and you’ll start to shut down.’
Mr Prevel’s highlights of the challenge so far include the people he has met along the way.
‘People have stopped and checked up on how I’m doing because they’ve seen my story in the paper and know what I’m up to,’ he said.
Friend Phil Gallienne joined Mr Prevel after training specifically so he could complete the length and his son joined him for yesterday’s second length.
Mr Prevel has been taking cold baths and sleeping in between walks. He has been sleeping on average three hours each time.
When he woke at 3am for yesterday morning’s walk, he was given an impressive light show from the thunder and lightning storm coming from the west.
‘The company has been great but it’s also been nice to walk on my own sometimes and be able to concentrate on some of the tricky paths.’
Mr Prevel will be completing his challenge this evening at the Imperial Hotel. He is looking forward to celebrating over a pint.
n Donations to Mr Prevel’s challenge can be made at https://www.papaprev.org/
