A father of two who lost his own dad to cancer this year is set to take on the West Highland Way in a day.
At noon on Wednesday Leon Hunter, from Monifieth, will set off from Milngavie, with the aim of tackling the legendary 96-mile tourist trek in less than 24 hours to raise cash for the charity that supported his father during his illness.
Leon, 37, struck on the idea of the unsupported mammoth endurance challenge to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, to thank the charity for the help it gave 61-year-old former Arbroath High School language teacher Jim Hunter before his untimely death.
A bar supervisor at the Fisherman’s Tavern on Fort Street, Broughty Ferry, Leon hopes to raise £1,000 through the strength-sapping journey to Fort William across some of Scotland’s most impressive but demanding terrain.
Leon said: “My dad was fortunate to have his friends and family by his side during his illness, as well as the support of his Macmillan nurse throughout.
“No one should face cancer alone and I wanted to do something to help make sure Macmillan would be there for everyone, especially those who may not have family around.”
“I don’t know how my dad or the rest of the family would have coped without the help Macmillan offered, so I felt I needed to give something back.”
He added: “I must admit to being a bit nervous about the challenge I’ve set myself.
“Of course I’ve been putting in the training but so far the longest distance I’ve completed in one go is 35 miles.
“I will certainly be keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts and hope to face neither the extremes of heat or thunderstorms we’ve had so far this summer.”
A former Royal Marine reservist, Leon will have the strong support of his wife Annie and children Ella, 5, and Ruaridh, 2, for this week’s adventure. He is also hoping for backing through the justgiving sponsorship page.
The Fife Coastal Path and the Sidlaws have featured in his training regime and, while not underestimating the scale of the challenge, Leon hopes timing will play a vital part in his mission.
“I’ve chosen the noon start time because that will hopefully allow me to tackle two of the difficult stretches in daylight hours,” he said.
Leon also admitted that the busy tourist path doesn’t hold very fond memories for him.
“I started doing it with a friend some years ago. It was a very hot day and we were just filling our water bottles from the burn but when we got a little bit further up discovered a dead sheep in it and were both pretty sick, so we didn’t get very far.”
Tayside Macmillan fundraising manager Shirlie Geddes said: “I am a runner myself and understand how tough a challenge this is going to be.
“I’m sure his dad would be very proud.
“We are very grateful to Leon for his support. I know he is determined to make it, so he can collect lots of sponsorship money to hand over to Macmillan, and I wish him the best of luck.”
The money he raises will be used to fund Macmillan’s vital cancer services, from specialist nurses and doctors to help and advice for people who have financial problems as a result of their cancer.
For details on supporting Macmillan or further information on the help the charity can provide if you or a loved one is facing a cancer diagnosis, visit www.macmillan.org.uk or call the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 0000.