A 34-year-old man from Rochdale has completed a 233-day trek across 17 countries, walking over 4,200 miles from Baku to raise money for two Manchester homelessness charities.
Owen Charnley, originally from Rochdale, set out from the Azerbaijani capital in April and arrived back in his hometown after more than seven months on foot. He walked up to 45 kilometres a day, crossing Europe through extreme weather and enduring repeated attacks by stray dogs.
Calling the moment of his return “pretty surreal”, Charnley said: “I’ve been thinking about coming home for quite a while, but it is mental that it’s actually here.”
He raised over £4,000 for Manchester-based charities Barnabus and The Booth Centre, after reconnecting with an old friend who had remained homeless since their university days. Inspired by this chance encounter, Mr Charnley asked local rough sleepers which charities they trusted most, and said both organisations were mentioned “nine times out of ten”.
During the walk, he passed through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, among other countries. He stayed in hotels, hostels, tents and occasionally under bridges, but said it was the kindness of strangers that stood out most.
“Some of the poorest places I’ve ever been in my life have been some of the most generous,” he said. “If I’d wanted to, I could have knocked on random doors and nine times out of ten people would have let me stay.”
He described the physical toll of the journey, including severe blisters during the first 500 kilometres, which he spent entirely on roads. “You’re just using the same part of your foot all day,” he said. “Then they sort of hardened up and have been fine ever since.”
The most difficult conditions came during the peak summer heat. “It got to 42 degrees in Bulgaria,” he said. “It’s hot just to sit down in that, never mind walk 40 kilometres while carrying five litres of water.”
Stray dogs were another persistent threat, with Charnley suffering three separate attacks.
Despite the physical and mental challenges, he said the journey was only the first step in his long-term goal to walk around the world. Now working as a seasonal chef, he is already thinking about where his boots will take him next.
Neil Cornthwaite, partnerships manager at Barnabus, praised Mr Charnley’s effort: “We’ve had people do all sorts of things for us, but nothing like this. It’s a real heart-warming story and an incredible sacrifice of time, energy and effort.”
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