Former Pukekohe Golf Club manager taking on 770km for the Mental Health Foundation

Sapeer Mayron Reporter from Franklin County News

Kia ora neighbours,

Pukekohe local, Ian Litchfield, is planning on the walk of his life across the famous Camino de Santiago in May.

Litchfield, a former general manager of the Pukekohe Golf Club, is planning to walk 770km, from the Pyrenees Mountains to Spain in just 77 days.

In doing so, he wants to raise $50,000 for the Mental Health Foundation, saying its work is close to his heart, having experienced Post Traumatic Stress and watching his friends and family go through various struggles too, he said.

“You’ve got to clear past issues from your mind, achieve the balance one seeks for the present and then plan for the future,” he said.

“That’s what I’ll be doing on the walk: week by week, reviewing what I’ve done and preparing for the next part as well as for my future when I get home.”

Litchfield, 71, will do his walk with just 10kg on his back, plus two pairs of hiking shoes to support him on his journey.

He’ll start in Gallipoli at the end of April, where his grandfather fought during WWI, then travel to France to begin Camino de Santiago pilgrimage from the French side of the Pyrenees Mountain range through to Spain.

The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St James, is among the most important Christian pilgrimage paths and was first walked in the ninth century. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hundreds of walkers visit it annually, and villages along the route host pilgrims and hikers alike in accommodation on their way.

To support Litchfield and contribute to the Mental Health Foundation, visit his fundraiser online.