David Wareing, the retiring head of marine and trade for UK law firm Hill Dickinson, decided he needed to do something special to mark the end of 45 years with the international law firm.
And what could be better than walking 306 km across England to raise money for charity?
The Mission to Seafarers' Flying Angel crew campaign will now bank nearly £7,000 ($9,050) after Wareing completed the famous Coast-to-Coast trek from Cumbria to North Yorkshire.
He set out with a small team for the two-week walk.
Wareing strode on through all that the British weather could throw at him — sun, rain, wind and fog — as well as seeing firsthand some of its most beautiful and breathtaking scenery.
Resting at home this week, the lawyer said: "I feel a great sense of achievement and have certainly learned the value of looking after your feet!
"It was glorious. Everywhere had its own significant attributes and no two days were the same."
Inn the nick of time
After one particularly gruelling day hiking across the Yorkshire moors in low cloud and rain, to his joy a local mountain inn appeared out of the mist, rather like a lighthouse beacon to the weary mariner.
Wareing said he had been delighted by the amount of support former colleagues and friends had given him via social media and LinkedIn during the long-distance walk.
He added: "The thing which I will miss the most after my retirement will undoubtedly be the people with whom I have worked both within the firm and in the markets that Hill Dickinson serves."
Wareing chose the Flying Angel Campaign partly because it is Hill Dickinson's chosen charity for this year.
He also wanted to acknowledge the tremendous work the campaign is currently doing to help seafarers as they keep world trade and aid flowing during the pandemic.
In the words of the Mission to Seafarers: "The inability of seafarers to end contracts and return home to their families and children is having a major impact on their physical and mental well-being.
"Without the immediate action and support being delivered by the Mission to Seafarers, the sector could fall into an even deeper crisis. Now is the time to help our global community of seafarers with a donation to this great challenge."
To donate to Wareing's fundraising page, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/davidwareingsupportingmissiontoseafarers.
