A former Suffolk schoolgirl has set off on a 500-mile walk from Lowestoft to Land’s End to raise money for Restart Rugby and the Firefighters’ Charity.
Sasha Acheson, 27, a firefighter and a former England rugby player, injured her shoulder in January and is currently waiting for an operation.
Having been told not to do any exercise other than walking Sasha, a former student at St Benedict’s in Bury St Edmunds, St Joseph’s in Ipswich and West Suffolk College, decided to do just that and started planning her walk.
Sasha, who is currently staying with her family at Lawshall, near Bury St Edmunds, is stationed at Cheltenham West with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue.
Her rugby career began at Sudbury Rugby Club aged 12 and she played for the England U20s and then for England before injuring her left knee so badly she was told she might never run again, let alone play rugby.
However, she made a full recovery and has since played several times for England A and plays weekly in the Women’s Premiership for Gloucester-Hartpury.
Sasha started her walk on Monday, March 4, from Ness Point in Lowestoft – the most easterly point in England – and during the next month she will walk the 500 miles to Land’s End in Cornwall, which is the country’s most westerly point.
Firefighters from Green Watch at Lowestoft South Fire Station saw Sasha off at the start of her journey.
She will mainly be walking on her own but family and friends are planning to join her her for short stretches and she will be staying overnight with rugby friends.
She has previously cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats and back again in a month – a total of 1,748 miles.
She is hoping to raise £1,000 from her walk, which will be split between Restart Rugby which provides financial, practical and emotional support to injured rugby players, and the Firefighters’ Charity which supports injured firefighters and their families.
To make donations and for daily video and photo updates on Sasha’s journey across the country see www.facebook.com/500milesOneMonth/
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