Chesterfield martial arts instructor racks up 13 million steps in a year to raise £900 for Ashgate Hospice

David Cartawick, 58, from Chesterfield, says he is relieved to have completed the mammoth challenge which has so far brought in £900.

He started the 6,500-mile challenge – equivalent to about 35,600 steps a day – at the beginning of 2023. David reached his target with 11 days to spare but his gritty determination prevented him from stopping until his stepometer hit 13,377,516 before the new year.

David, who works as an instructor at Unit 1 Fitness & Martial Arts,said the fundraiser involved a lot of sacrifices. “It was relentless. Some days I walked upwards of 60,000 or 70,000 steps and the minimum I walked was 20,000.

“On average I’d be spending about six-and-a-half hours a day trying to get my steps in. It was time consuming and all about my mindset and mentality; I just had to break it down a day at a time.

“When I reached the target, I was just relieved to have got to the end unscathed and without injuring myself. I was very lucky in that sense!”

David said he had to eat as many as 6,000 calories per day so he would have enough energy to keep on walking.

He said: “It was very intense. I was constantly tired and could feel the toll it was taking on my body every day. My legs were under a bit of stress, but it was the feet more than anything – you’ve got to be so careful with your feet.

“Surprisingly, thanks to a good pair of walking shoes and some strong socks, they held up well!”

Typically, he would attempt to hit 10,000 steps before 10am each morning and would often head out on a long walk in the afternoon.

David has done quite a lot of things for charity over the past decade including during lockdown when he completed a challenge to walk a million steps in a month.

He said: “I thought I would try see if I could do 13 million in a year. Plenty of people will think I’m bonkers, but I like challenging and pushing myself!

Now he hopes others will support his fundraising for the hospice’s palliative and end of life care in north Derbyshire. “The hospice is a charity that’s close to everybody’s hearts in the area,” said David. “Even last year, I had two friends who received care in Ashgate, and even though I’ve not had any direct family, we all know somebody who has been there.

“As time goes on, we will know more people who will need the hospice and it’s important that we do what we can locally to ensure it’s there for everyone.”

You can make a donation to David’s fundraiser on JustGiving.