A United Kingdom police officer walked 17 miles barefoot in the rain and wind Sunday to raise money for missing persons – wearing nothing but shorts in the middle of February.
The journey took Shane Jones, a K-9 handler, across a suspension bridge and through muddy terrain, spotted in places with broken glass, according to Avon and Somerset Police.
“I have two nasty blisters, but I only had to wear my emergency flip-flops for about quarter of a mile, where there was a section of pavement with broken glass and all sorts and the road was too busy to walk in,” he said in a statement posted to the department’s website Monday. “Today is a day of putting my feet up and recovering.”
He had his K-9 partner Delta at his side for the first leg of the journey, which in full ran from Cheddar Gorge to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, about a three-hour drive west of London. It took him about seven and a half hours, and temperatures were hovering in the upper-40s Fahrenheit.
“When I got on top of the Mendips the rain was coming in sideways and I ran half a mile just to get out of it,” he said.
The hike raised £5,000, or about $6,800 USD, according to authorities.
“Shane undertook the challenge to encourage people to talk about mental health and to raise money for the charity Mindbecause of the number of times he and police dog Delta are called on to search for people who have gone missing while experiencing poor mental health,” the department said in a Facebook post.
He said he received support along the way from friends, colleagues and residents – including homeowners and local pubs.
“You can’t see mental health, and we don’t like to talk about it,” Jones said after the hike. “We say we’re ‘fine’ and keep a stiff upper lip, but while it can be hard to speak out people, will listen and it does help.”
The nonprofit Mind says it provides “advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.” The group also advocates for reform and raises awareness.