Harvey’s Walk Across England

200 Miles, a Paper Map, and a Lot of Sticky Toffee Pudding

How Harvey walked coast to coast across England and raised more than $27,500 for assistive technology

Before he set off, Harvey had one mindset: 200 miles, sky’s the limit. I can do anything.

Turns out he was right.

This summer, Harvey and his dad took on the Coast-to-Coast Walk, a 200-mile route across northern England from St Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea. Harvey has cerebral palsy, and he walked to raise money for CPARF. His first goal was $4,000, or $20 for every mile. By the time he reached the other side, he had logged 207 miles and raised $27,574.

We caught up with Harvey to hear what it was really like out there.

Want to hear it from Harvey himself? Listen to his radio interview

The hard part came early

Day one was 15 miles. Day two put a rock scramble in front of him, and his first thought was, “How am I going to do this?”

He did it anyway. Breathing hard, tired, and still moving.

The next stretch was four days of steep, uneven mountain terrain, the kind of ground where every step takes thought. Harvey learned quickly that stopping wasn’t really an option. If he sat too long, his body would seize up. So he kept going.

He’s the first to say this route is hard for anyone. It is. And he walked every mile of it.

Then something clicked

About a week in, Harvey noticed something surprising. His body had caught up to the challenge. A 10 or 20-mile day, the kind that would have flattened him at the start, suddenly felt like nothing.

His head changed too. As a city kid, he found himself completely taken with the open country. Away from screens, schedules, and everyday pressure, his mind felt clearer than it had in a long time.

Paper maps, puddings, and pub pool

Two weeks with your dad means a few debates. The big one was navigation. His dad swore by a physical paper map. Harvey made the case for tech. (We’ll let them settle who won.)

The other big one was dessert. Harvey made a point of trying the local sweets in each part of England. He loved some; others weren’t for him. Sticky toffee pudding was the clear champion. Whether it goes better with ice cream or custard sparked a heated father-son debate that may still be going.

Most nights ended at a local pub with fish and chips. Harvey loved those evenings, getting to know people in small towns along the route and shooting many games of pool.

Gauze, packing tape, and a lot of creativity

Partway through the walk, Harvey’s ankles started to swell. Out in the countryside, there was no easy way to get to a pharmacy. So Harvey and his dad got creative and built makeshift ankle braces out of gauze and packing tape.

It worked. And it’s a story a lot of people with disabilities will recognize. When the right tool is too expensive, too far away, or just doesn’t exist, you make do with what you have. That kind of problem-solving is impressive. It also shouldn’t have to be the plan.

That’s exactly the gap Harvey’s fundraising helps close.

The water at the end

When Harvey finally saw the sea at Robin Hood’s Bay, it was bittersweet. Two weeks of miles, laughs, sore ankles, and pudding were coming to an end.

He ran straight into the water. And in that moment, he says, all the pain from the last 200 miles washed away. What was left were the good memories, playing like a movie montage of the whole trip as he headed into the waves.

What Harvey’s walk makes possible

Harvey has been part of the CPARF community for years, through STEPtember and beyond. Growing up, he had access to therapy, support, and programs like CP soccer that helped him build confidence. He walked so more people can have that kind of access.

The $27,574 he raised will help CPARF back early-stage innovators building assistive technology, and push to make that technology accessible, affordable, and available for people with disabilities. Fewer packing-tape fixes. More tools that actually fit people’s lives.

Thank you, Harvey, for every mile. And thank you to his dad, and to the more than 100 people who cheered him on and gave along the way.

Feeling inspired? Start your own fundraiser for CPARF, on any route, at any distance. Get started here.