ULA HEYWOOD would not have been the first person to get sore feet from a 50-mile trek across the Lake District in pursuit of a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.
The four day expeditions are not for the faint-hearted, with teenagers carrying heavy backpacks containing their tent, food, clothing and equipment across some of England's most mountainous terrain.
But when the going got too tough for Ula, a Sheffi
eld University medical student, she not only pulled out of the trek because of her painful feet - she also tried to sue the organisers!
The 21-year-old, who was an A-level pupil at school in Newcastle at the time, lost her claim for compensation after taking walk supervisor Phil Murray to court.
The judge dismissed her case and said she had 'bitten off more than she could chew" by taking on the tough challenge four years ago.
Giving evidence at Newcastle County Court, Miss Heywood claimed she should not have been allowed to continue with the hike after she complained of an injury causing pain in her feet.
On the second day of the walk she had to be given sticks to help her walk, and on the third day she decided to pull out from the challenge because of the pain.
Later Miss Heywood was diagnosed with achilles tendonitis - which a medical report said was the result of carrying a heavy rucksack during the walk.
Miss Heywood said: "I was carrying half my body weight on my back. I knew from the beginning that I could stop but it wasn't made clear at all times.
"They never told me what could be causing the problem. As a young person with a leader you tend to follow their advice. The safety and wellbeing was the leader's responsibility and I made it very clear how sore my feet were."
But Mr Murray told the court he did not notice anything was seriously wrong, as Miss Heywood was free to stop walking at any time but had opted to continue.
Her case was rejected by district judge Peter Bullock, who said Miss Heywood was a fit and healthy young woman.
He said because she had not taken part in the lower levels of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme she had not appreciated the toughness of the challenge.
He said: "At the end of the day the claimant has bitten off more than she could chew in going straight away for the gold award which is a very arduous expedition to be undertaken. This was intended to be a test of physical strength.
"Ula Heywood is a very determined young lady and maybe that is why she went on for longer than she should have done, but she was an adult. She was 18. I don't find the allegations proved against the defendant. "
After the case, Miss Heywood's solicitor Melanie Shooter said: "We are very disappointed by this result. However, we must accept the court's decision. My client will now be trying to put this whole distressing event behind her and move on with her life."
A spokesman for the Duke of Edinburgh Award said after the case that the majority of young people complete expeditions successfully and without problems. He said: "It is unfortunate that Ula had the difficulties she had."
He added compensation claims could deter people from volunteering as supervisors and assessors, meaning young people would suffer.
