For media 23rd February 2015 Terry Caunter is training for a walk across Finland on prosthetic legs The Itinerary of the Great Walk Walking Marathon Confirmed Former Scotland Yard detective Terry Caunter (60), a Brit who has now settled in Kuopio, Finland, is busy preparing for his huge Great Walk challenge. His planned walk on prosthetic limbs from one end of Finland to another, covering a distance of well over a thousand kilometres, will begin on 1 May from Utsjoki. The walking marathon, expected to advance some 20 kilometres a day, will end in Helsinki in mid-‐July. Anyone can join in the Great Walk and raise funds for charity at the same time. Terry Caunter, who lost partly both of his legs in an accident in the autumn of 2013, wants to serve as an inspiration to anyone no longer able to walk – never give up. Now Terry is preparing for a 1,375-‐
kilometre walking marathon from Utsjoki, in the northernmost part of Finland, to Helsinki, scheduled to begin on 1 May. He is developing muscle strength in his body at the gym and by doing long walks with his dog Penni. “The preparations are going well at the moment. I walk every day, and my muscle strength has improved substantially, which also helps me to maintain my balance. I have received an incredible amount of feedback and encouragement from people, and it feels great,” Terry Caunter says. Determined training is nothing new to Terry, since he had done several charity walks hundreds of kilometres long all over Europe before his accident. Anyone can join the Great Walk by walking along with Terry Caunter for any distance that they choose – on foot, by wheelchair, on prostheses. Terry aims to advance approximately 20 kilometres a day. The itinerary is the following: Utsjoki – Ivalo – Sodankylä – Rovaniemi – Ranua – Pudasjärvi – Puolanka – Paltamo – Kajaani – Iisalmi – Lapinlahti – Siilinjärvi – Kuopio – Varkaus – Juva – Mikkeli – Kouvola – Porvoo – Helsinki. Premium-‐level prosthetics put to a real test Respecta, Finland’s leading expert in assistive devices, is making this over two-‐month effort possible. The company's Clinical Prosthetist David Robins has tailored the prosthetic limbs Terry will be using at Respecta Oy's Kuopio clinic. David is closely involved in the preparation process for the challenge, and he will ensure the technical functionality and condition of the prostheses throughout the walk. In one of his legs, Terry will use an ultra-‐modern Genium leg prosthetics system, which makes walking on prostheses more like natural walk. “At the moment we are customising and optimising the prostheses according to Terry's measurements and needs. So far, everything has gone as expected, but there is still a lot of work to be done until Terry has finished his walking marathon,” says David Robins from Respecta. The Great Walk • The Great Walk charity walk of Terry Caunter from Kuopio will begin from Utsjoki on 1 May 2015. Caunter will walk the route on prosthetic legs at the daily speed of approximately 20 kilometres, and he is expected to arrive at Helsinki in mid-‐July. The total length of the planned journey is 1,375 kilometres. •
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You can follow how Terry's walking marathon progressed on Facebook and in his blog. You can also sign up as a volunteer and provide assistance in various tasks along the route. If you are interested in participating in the walk, you can contact Pirjo Airaksinen, Executive Director of the Pohjois-‐Savo Cancer Association , tel. +358 50 561 8511, pirjo.airaksinen@pohjois-‐savonsyopayhdistys.fi. The charities for which the event collects funds are the New Children’s Hospital project, and the Juho-‐Pekka Saloranta Memorial Fund at the Pohjois-‐Savo Cancer Association, which supports families whose children are being treated for cancer. In addition to Respecta, the Great Walk is sponsored by the Pohjois-‐Savo Cancer Association, Kunnonsali and Musti & Mirri, which supplies Terry Caunter's dog Penni with provisions. Further information: Katja Johansson Respecta / Ottobock Scandinavia Group Tel. +358 40 3488 585 [email protected] **** Respecta Oy is Finland's largest provider of products and services to improve people’s functional capacity and mobility. We provide services at eight locations in our own clinics and by appointment at more than 70 locations in rehabilitation centres, health centres and hospitals. Respecta has 200 employees and a turnover of approximately EUR 35.9 million (in 2014). Respecta is part of Ottobock Scandinavia Group, the market leader in the orthopaedic industry in the Nordic countries. www.respecta.fi