Poulton cancer survivor who lost part of his leg to treatment walks 10 million steps in a year for charity

A Poulton-le-Fylde man who had part of his leg removed during cancer treatment has walked 10million steps in a year – representing a million steps for each year he’s been cancer-free – to raise funds for charity.

Garry Burrill, was diagnosed with the rare soft tissue cancer myxoid liposarcoma in 2016 aged 35, requiring five weeks of intensive daily radiotherapy and surgery to remove the tumour in his thigh – along with a “decent chunk” of his “favourite leg”.

After being told to not expect a lot of movement in it, Garry experienced years of problems related to his cancer surgery and struggled with his health and fitness.

Garry, now 45, said: “I’ve been told my gait changed, and lifting my leg up was really difficult and painful.

“Unfortunately, I took the strategy of trying to protect it by doing less.

“I did less exercise and gained a lot of weight. I didn't walk. I was falling a lot. My leg would just give way.

“I get constant pins and needles in my foot, sciatic pain, weird muscle aches. It’s been really challenging.”

After years of stop-start attempts to get back into physical activity, Garry began to see improvements after receiving regular physiotherapy for a year.

Wanting to find out what he was capable of, and to “feel more connected” to the milestone of being 10-years cancer-free, he decided to embark on an epic year-long challenge.

However, when he began last June, he had no idea just how much of a transformative effect it would have on his mental and physical wellbeing – or if he’d even finish it.

He explained: “At the start of the start of last year, I was in a bad place where I was in a period of feeling very alone. But before I was hit with all that, I always thought about doing something for my 10-year ‘cancerversary’.

“When I started this, I didn’t think I’d finish, but it was good for getting me out the house.

“To start with, I had blisters on top of blisters, but within a within a month, the difference I noticed from walking every day was huge. I was able to join two running groups, and I went back to playing football.

“I run one with one running group Saturday morning and then I walk to another running group and run with them as well.

“I’ve lost four stone in weight and have five bin bags of clothes to donate to the charity shop.

“I can’t believe how much it's benefitted my life, with the people I’ve met, and the relationships I’ve made.”

The final week of Garry’s challenge saw him walk 15 miles over six hours from his home in Poulton to the Royal Preston Hospital where he was treated to pay an emotional visit to his cancer nurses, and his final steps, on June 14, took him to his favourite restaurant, Hickories Smokehouse in Thornton, where staff have supported him and he has visited each time he’s completed a million steps.

Garry has only recently been able to fully comprehend the scale of his achievement, which has seen him walk an average of 28,000 steps a day, and hasn’t been without its difficulties, including rupturing a muscle in his thigh, and battling illness in the final weeks of his challenge.

He said: “I recently did ChatGPT to calculate how far it is, and it says it's five lengths of the UK or the equivalent of 181 marathons. I'm basically doing a marathon every second day, so it’s a long way, and it made me realise how big an achievement it is.

“I’m proud, really proud [to have done this] and I think it sends a huge message to others. It shows that with the right determination and belief you can improve and overcome difficult obstacles.”

The challenge has been raising funds for Louie’s Research Fund, a special named fund at CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association. The fund raises money to support CCLG’s research into T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and is a cause close to Garry’s heart.

Louie Jones, a close friend of Garry’s son, passed away in 2020 aged 14, and Garry wanted to do something to remember him by.

Garry, who also coached Louie at football, said: “Louie’s passing hit me really hard. He was brilliant, just so nice.

“He’d always ask ‘how I can get better?’ He was always so polite, and a delight to coach.”

Buoyed by the positive impact that his challenge has had, Garry is determined to keep pushing himself physically and to keep making a difference by continuing to fundraise for CCLG.

He explained: “I don't feel as though I'm ready to end my fundraising journey. I think I'll be doing something at least every year now, something big every year, for myself and for others.

“For my target next year, I'd really like to complete a marathon. I know I'm capable now, as I covered the distance recently on a day where I ran two 5Ks and walked for several hours.”

Hannah Ortega, of the fundraising team at CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, said: “Garry should be incredibly proud of himself for his dedication and commitment to completing such an incredible challenge.

“It’s inspiring to hear how it’s helped move his life in such a positive direction, all while raising vital funds for research into children and young people’s cancer in Louie’s memory.”