Dad's 1,000-mile walk after wife's sudden death

Karl Lansley completed his 60-day challenge at Southend United's Roots Hall ground

A dad-of-three was given a hero’s welcome as he finished a 1,000-mile (1,609km) walking challenge in memory of his wife on what would have been their 20th wedding anniversary.

Karl Lansley, from Southend-on-Sea, started his challenge on 11 May 2024 and finished at Southend United’s Roots Hall ground on Wednesday.

It was a fundraiser for the Carli Lansley Foundation – a charity he set up in memory of his wife, who died in 2017 aged 36 from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS).

“I’m incredibly proud of what I hope I’ve achieved and proud of what I hope my kids have seen I’ve done,” the 53-year-old said.

Mr Lansley took selfies when friends and family joined him along the way

Mr Lansley’s challenge has raised about £15,000 for the organisation so far, which will help cover the cost of providing free heart checks for people aged between 14 and 35.

During the 60-day challenge, Mr Lansley spread his wife’s ashes at several locations, including near their seats at Southend United, where the couple were season ticket holders.

He passed through 12 counties and also visited his wife’s headstone and the church where they were married.

'Massively proud'

He said he had remained “surprisingly injury free” besides a few aches and pains from carrying a heavy rucksack.

“Carli would be embarrassed her name was being put all over the place because she was quite reserved, quite shy,” he admitted.

“I think she would probably be shouting at me saying ‘stop putting my pictures all over the place, stop mentioning my name'.

“But ultimately I know that Carli and her family are massively proud that her name now will forever live with something incredibly positive in that we are hopefully helping to save lives.”

The charity is supported by Southend United players including defender Jason Demetriou and former captain Adam Barrett, who are both patrons.

Mr Lansley hopes to build an even stronger relationship with the club’s new owners to help inspire young people to get their hearts checked.

What is SADS?

Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome is when someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest, but the cause of the cardiac arrest can't be found.

About 500 people in the UK are affected by SADS every year.

It mainly affects young people aged 14-35.