But when four-year-old Solly Lumley heard his grandmother talking about walking 50 miles in January for charity he was desperate to take part.
Just three weeks later the St Martin’s pre-school pupil has already smashed the target – and raised hundreds of pounds for the Jersey Alzheimer’s Association in the process.
His mother, Katie Lumley, said he was now planning walks for the summer, having been inspired to explore the Island thanks to the charity challenge.
‘At the beginning we thought there was no way he would walk for 40 minutes a day,’ she said. ‘But he has been so determined – he has literally gone out in wind, rain or hail. His determination and resilience has been unbelievable.’
Solly, who has so far raised £850 after setting himself a very conservative initial target of just £11, borrowed his mother’s activity tracker to record how far he was walking each day and created a chart to tick off the miles.
His schoolmates also helped him cover the distance by joining him for laps of the playground, with Solly recording 11,110 steps on one occasion.
Most of the walking has been done with his grandparents, David and Beverley Mason, and father, George Lumley, with Mrs Lumley – who is currently pregnant and on bed rest – waiting in the car with a hot-water bottle and hot chocolate for when he finishes.
‘He has been all over the Island,’ said Mrs Lumley, who added that she had noticed a definite increase in how much food he was eating since he had become more active.
She continued: ‘My grandad suffered with Alzheimer’s and it has always been something that as a family we have tried to get involved in fundraising events for.’
Solly is one of 342 people registered to take part in the 50 miles in January for Jersey Alzheimer’s event, which has been arranged by one of the charity’s volunteers, Simone Sains. So far around £12,000 has been raised.
Ms Sains said: ‘I lost my mum four years ago to Alzheimer’s and want to ensure that all the people in Jersey that are affected by or living with the disease can receive the brilliant support that JAA offer.’
JAA chief executive Sean Pontin added: ‘After such a difficult 2020, what a fantastic way to kick off 2021. We are so grateful to Simone for suggesting and arranging the event and to everyone for signing up and supporting us.
‘We all need some good news and seeing Solly leading the way has brought a long-overdue smile to many faces.’
To sponsor Solly click here.
