Dean’s Story
“Hi my name is Dean. I live with my family in Kamo and I am supporting Alzheimers Northland. I understand the huge challenges faced by families affected by dementia and what a life changing difference the team at Alzheimers Northland can make. Every cent that I raise will stay here in Northland helping local families live better with dementia.”
Hiking Hero Dean Raynel is taking on a mammoth challenge to raise vital funds for
Alzheimers Northland.
Father of three, Dean from Kamo will be hiking 1733 kilometers of back country terrain, forests, beaches, farmland, rivers and roads. He is walking down New Zealand’s Long Pathway – Te Araroa from Cape Reinga to Wellington to help raise awareness and funds for Alzheimers Northland. The walk will take ten weeks and Dean will not be using any motor power. What an incredible adventure! The planning alone has been a huge investment of time, let alone the training.
The incredible thing about Dean’s story is that he has very little hiking experience! He is starting his planning and training right from the beginning of his hiking journey.
Dean said “I have spent lots of time researching trail notes and maps and determining my start and finish points for each day including where I will be sleeping. Researching gear and equipment is another big part of the planning. I will need to be strict on how much weight I am carrying so I can only take essential items and lightweight gear where possible. I quickly discovered lightweight gear is expensive! My base weight goal is 10kg’s (not including food or water). My max weight I hope will not exceed 15kg’s. Food will be mostly dehydrated and I will have a small gas stove or Jet Boil system for boiling water and cooking. I will carry a minimal amount of heavier food such as tuna sachets, cheese and salami as these are good sources of protein, fats and carbs that will be essential for maintaining energy levels and also keeping sane! Of course when I pass through a town I will be consuming as many burgers and calories as possible with a Subway foot long to go!”
Dean decided to do the challenge after making changes to his diet and exercise routine that saw him going from feeling like he always lacked energy to being able to take on this incredible feat of endurance.
Dean and his wife Katie have been working tirelessly to self-fund the trip ensuring every cent they raise in sponsorship will come directly to help Alzheimers Northland.
You can follow his journey on his facebook page: www.facebook.com/thepathlesstravellednz/
If you would like to sponsor Dean you can make a donation, every cent of which will go directly to Alzheimers Northland by:
Following this link
A huge thanks to Dean and Katie for all the time and energy you are investing into this incredible challenge. What an inspiration!