I have just spent 10 days walking the SDW, with various groups of family and friends each day, reaching Winchester on Sunday 8th May 2011. It has been an amazing, but arduous experience! The views were fantastic! The beauty and openness refreshing - it was like a holiday but with pain!
I dreamed up the idea when I was being treated for ovarian and peritoneal cancer at St. Luke's Centre in Guildford. I wanted to raise money for GRACE the Gynae-oncology Research and Clinical Excellence charity based at St. Luke's, and started planning the Walk when I was nearing the end of my last chemotherapy course in November 2010.
Once I was in recovery I started training by doing a few yards, a few hundred yards, a mile, a few miles etc. but actually only reached 7 miles in practice before starting to walk the SDW! I cannot believe I have achieved that, and have raised so far over £2000 for GRACE.
I would recommend this Walk, and there are sections that I would definitely do again for pleasure, and other sections, that although beautiful, were just too difficult for me (such as Seven Sisters - maybe the 'inland' trail would have been easier?).
Whoever you are, GO FOR IT - you will not regret it - a life-changing experience!