A DETERMINED Kidderminster man has vowed to complete a charity trek in memory of his father after failing to complete the journey, due to a back injury.
Kevin Booth, of Gould Avenue East, set out on the four-day walk to Wales on Wednesday last week but suffered an early setback only five hours into his mission when he slipped and injured his back.
The father-of-one had intended to reach Barmouth by Saturday evening but his injury meant he had to return home at 3.30pm last Wednesday, the same day he set off.
It was a great disappointment to Mr Booth, who is aiming to raise more than £1,000 for St Richard's Hospice in Worcester, where staff helped to care for his late father, Michael, when he was terminally ill.
He had chosen Barmouth as his final destination, as he was planning to take his mother and father there on the weekend Michael fell seriously ill. He died two weeks later, in 2004.
Mr Booth, 36, said: "I slipped onto the ground and, with the weight of the rucksack on my back, it made the injury worse.
"I tried to carry on and did so for about an hour but the pain was incredible and I started to get shooting pains up my legs, so thought I had better stop."
Mr Booth, who works as a greenkeeper at Stourbridge Golf Club, ended his journey at the south Shropshire town of Craven Arms.
He had suffered back problems in the past but thought he was well enough to complete the walk. He is now seeking treatment and advice from his chiropractor.
He added: "I was so disappointed and was quiet for a couple of days when I returned home. People had been great and were beeping the horns of their cars as I was walking along to support me.
"This setback has made me even more determined to complete the walk though and, depending on what my chiropractor says, I'm intending to have another go in April."
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