Boy, 10, on an adventure from 'The Shire to Mordor'
"One does not simply walk into Mordor" is a phrase from the Lord of the Rings franchise being promptly ignored by a boy aiming to recreate Frodo Baggins's epic journey from The Shire. Wilf, 10, has asthma and is aiming to complete 1,779 miles (2,863km) - the same distance covered by the hobbit - before he begins secondary school in 2026.His quest will not include meetings with orcs, elves or even Gollum, but will support the charity Asthma and Lung UK.Wilf, a huge fan of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, said: "I wanted to show people with asthma that they can still do physical activity."
Wilf, of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, started the challenge in September and is doing many walks to make up the total number of miles.He set a target of £220, as £22 allows one of the charity's nurses to answer a call on the helpline, and Wilf aimed to help 10 people, but has so far raised £310.Wilf - who is autistic and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - goes for strolls after school, and goes for walks at the weekend with his family. He said he had been "enjoying the walking a lot". "I mainly do two miles or so, and some bigger walks like five-mile walks," he added.
His mother Kate said: "It is really important for young people with asthma to get exercise but often it is something that creates anxiety. "Exercise is one of Wilf's triggers for his asthma - although it improves his asthma, it does make him nervous - so it is a big deal for him to decide to do a walk like this."The 42-year-old added: "I am just so proud of him - he has it in his nature to help other people. "His determination to do it is really impressive."
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Metro
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21 hours ago
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