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An Abercarn woman will embark on a journey like no other this August- an 84-mile walk across Hadrian’s Wall in memory of her dad, Peter, who passed away last year with cancer.  

Since her father’s passing, 31-year-old Carla Jefferies has decided to do something she’d always wanted to do – cross Hadrian’s Wall.

Having always felt too unfit and overweight to do something like this, Carla chose to start training and lose weight in the process.

Since the start of her journey just over a year ago, she has lost seven stone in weight – but aims to lose ten stone by the time she takes on the challenge in little over five months’ time.  

Carla originally set herself a target to raise £500 through the challenge, but has upped this to £1,000 after smashing the initial target.

She is raising money for St David’s Hospice Care, which provided “truly outstanding” care for her dad in the last months of his life. 

Carla aims to cross the historic wall – in the north of England – in six long and challenging days, with the hope of finishing the challenge on August 31 – her 32nd birthday. Each day will include at least 14 miles of walking, with some days reaching up to 20 miles.  

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer about her reasons for doing the walk, Carla explained: “When I started to lose weight, I felt good about myself, so when my dad passed away, I saw this as the perfect challenge. 

“I could hold myself accountable and combine it with fundraising and health and fitness.”

Praising the work of St David’s Hospice, Carla continued: “I used to be a bit of a sceptic about charities, up until seeing the amazing care they provided for my dad, then that changed instantly. 

“He had been a bit mistreated elsewhere, but when we moved him to St David’s, everything changed. He was being taken care of as someone who was going to live, rather than someone who was unfortunately going to die.”

When Carla was at her heaviest, she weighed 22 stone. But she said her weight loss journey as not only helped her physical health, but her mental health too.

“It has helped me so much in every way,” she said. “It has made me happier, and I’ve met so many people who have come along with me for walks.

“I’ve even started a walking group with my work colleagues. It’s just ended up snowballing into many different avenues.”

She continued: “I remember when I was at my heaviest, I struggled to do even the simplest of tasks. I live in a three-storey house and I would have to sit down and take a breath on the middle floor because I’d be out of breath.”

These struggles, combined with a infection caused by her weight, pushed Carla into action: “I always thought I needed to lose weight, so one time after a bad experience I said enough was enough. 

“I lost one stone in just over a month, but then I suffered from gallstones, which really damaged my gall bladder.

“The doctors basically told me I needed to lose weight to get the necessary surgery, I had to lose weight, otherwise I’d be in pain. 

“One year on from the surgery and I feel so much better, it has really helped me.”