Sheffield school boy Harry sets the pace with epic walking challenge

Westbourne School pupil Harry Carter put months of lockdown to good use by striding out and keeping fit.

When the Broomhill independent school first closed down in March 2020, all pupils were encouraged to keep fit at home and keep a record of their activity.

Harry, who is 12 and lives with his family in Stannington, decided that whe wanted to walk the distance between Sheffield and Villa Park, the home of favourite football team Aston Villa.

But as that target was very quickly passed, Harry simply decided to carry on striding out and is now aiming to cover a distance the equivalent of walking the length of the country.

“I have always liked going on walks and had a smart watch for Christmas which records my daily steps and I have now completed 226308 steps, which is equivalent to 100 miles,” said a delighted Harry.

“I like to walk because it's good to get fresh air and stretch my legs after being sat down with lessons for so long.

“I also like to notice the changes with the weather and the scenery where I walk and I have discovered lots of new routes around my local area.”

Westbourne Director of Sport Nigel Elvidge-Latham said: “We encouraged all our pupils to maintain fitness during the long periods that sporting activity wasn’t possible but Harry really has exceeded all expectations.

“This is a brilliant effort and I think we’ll all have trouble keeping up with his incredible pace.”