Over Half Term Lower Sixth Former Maverick R and Mr Pillinger took on the ambitious challenge of walking 100km from Glasgow to Edinburgh along the canals in under 24 hours to raise money for Scottish Adoption and Fostering.

Read about the challenge and what it means to Maverick below.

We first set off on the train from Haymarket at 2:00 pm and started the walk at 3:30 pm. For the first eight hours, we maintained an average pace of 6.5 km/h, which was much faster than we had imagined. However, as soon as the sun went down, we encountered our first hurdle: the darkness. It was dark for around four hours, and it was an absolute slog. Time felt as though it was moving incredibly slowly.

After those four hours, we were delighted to see the sun rise. Unfortunately, that feeling only lasted about an hour before the soreness in our feet, legs, and backs returned. If I'm being honest, we were very under prepared. I originally thought the walk was going to be 70 km long, but I was off by 30 km, which was an absolute blow.

However, we kept going, and the final five hours were some of the toughest. At one point, we had slowed to around 2.5 km/h. Despite the challenges, this has been a wonderful experience, and it has really humbled me by showing just how difficult walking can be.

However, I am delighted to say that I completed the walk, and we were very fortunate to raise a significant amount of money for Scottish Adoption and Fostering.

This cause has deep personal meaning to me. I was adopted by two wonderful parents who chose to adopt half of their children and have also fostered. Because of them, I have been given incredible opportunities and experiences that many people may never have. I am extremely grateful for everything they have done for me and my family.

I want to use this challenge as a way to give back to the community that has supported so many children and families. Scottish Adoption and Fostering helps parents prepare to care for children who may have experienced trauma, neglect, and other difficult challenges. They work to match children with loving, supportive families where they can feel safe, valued, and cared for.

I truly believe that every child deserves a family that appreciates them, loves them, and invests time and care into their future.

Maverick R (Gl)

It is an incredible achievement to have covered this distance in 24 hours and the resilience and mental and physical toughness shown really is an inspiration to us all.

Maverick's Justgiving page is still available for any final donations.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/maverick-ross-020?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL