Ex-soldier Wayne Ingram walks 70 miles backwards for spinal charity

Mr Ingram finished his challenge at the University Hospital Southampton, where his daughter Freya received treatment

A former soldier has walked more than 70 miles (110km) backwards to raise money for a charity which helped his daughter with a rare a spinal condition.

Wayne Ingram travelled from Portland in Dorset to Southampton over five days in aid of the Scoliosis Association.

The charity helped his daughter, Freya, after she was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in 2019.

Mr Ingram said he was "over the moon" to have completed the challenge.

Mr Ingram completed the walk for the charity which helped his daughter Freya when she was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Freya's condition, which causes a severe curvature of the spine, affects one in 1,000 children in the UK.

On her dad completing the challenge, the 15-year-old said: "It means a lot because he's raised all this money not just for me, but for other children who have scoliosis as well. I'm really proud."

Mr Ingram, who was awarded the MBE in 2021 for his previous charity fundraising, ended the backwards walk at University Hospital Southampton, where his daughter received treatment.

Wayne Ingram said he was "over the moon" to have completed the walk

It was a gruelling challenge for Mr Ingram, as he has a lower leg injury sustained while he was in the army.

He said: "It was head down and crack on. The pain you go through is nowhere near the pain those children go through.

"I'm over the moon that we've completed it."

Money raised will help with research into the cause of the condition, and also support the Masonic Charitable Foundation which paid for his daughter's operation.

Mr Ingram previously raised £140,000 for Stefan Savic, a boy who needed a series of operations for a cleft palette, who he first met at the age of four while on Army patrol in Bosnia in 2003.

Wayne Ingram, who suffers from seasickness, spent a week on a life raft in Portland Harbour

The former Staff Eergeant has also raised money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, spending seven days on a life raft in Portland Harbour in 2015. He also did a sponsored bike ride to build a new orphanage in Mauritania.