Army veteran walking the UK coast after his mental health struggles has found happiness

A paratrooper who was left homeless after retiring from the military has revealed how the girlfriend he met while trekking on remote Scottish islands gave birth to their first child.

Former British paratrooper Chris Lewis, 42, “struggled” with money after leaving the army in 2004 and was forced to live on the streets before seeking help from military aid organization SSAFA.

In August 2017, single dad Chris, with £10 in his pocket, set out from Swansea’s Beach Hill car park to hike the length and breadth of the UK coast to raise funds for the charity that was helping him rebuild his life.

The former paratrooper met his longtime partner Kate Barron in 2020 while he was traveling and the two bonded instantly.

They appeared on This Morning today to introduce Holly and Phil to their nine-month-old son Magnus and said they were looking forward to completing Chris’ expedition across the UK together.

Former British paratrooper Chris Lewis, who became homeless after retiring from the military, has revealed how the girlfriend he met while trekking on remote Scottish islands gave birth to their first child

Chris, who served with the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment, decided to start the fundraiser with “a tenner and two days’ worth of rations” and has relied on his military skills and public goodwill to survive.

When he set out on his journey nearly six years ago, he said he “promised himself that he would come back and cross that border happily.”

“I haven’t even crossed the line and I can promise you I’m happy,” he told ITV’s This Morning.

Chris said things got pretty lonely during his walk – that was before he found Jet, a stray dog ​​he adopted in Irvine, Scotland.

When the first lockdown took place in March 2020, two years after Chris’ trip, he ended up camping out on an uninhabited island in Shetland, where he had an “amazing” time with his beloved pet.

Chris spent three months in a former shepherd’s hut on Hildasay before continuing his expedition in June.

At the same time, however, Kate explained that she decided to travel solo and go wild camping in Scotland and came across Chris camping on a secluded beach.

On the last day of her trip she said, “I walked out to the bottom of a cliff and I just see him there”.

They appeared on This Morning today to introduce Holly and Phil (pictured left) to their nine-month-old son Magnus

Now, almost at the end of his breathtakingly long walk, Chris said it wasn’t without its challenges

‘I immediately thought I was just attracted to him and thought I need to go and talk to him.’

Chris joked that he “fought a shark” at the time, to which Kate replied: “That’s his tale!” before admitting that the man with the quilt had been “Thor-esque”.

They spoke for a few minutes before Kate left. Immediately regretting leaving, she returned forty minutes later and asked if she could camp next to him.

The couple stayed in touch and had their first date six weeks later in a cabin on the Black Isle.

They continued Chris’ journey as a couple and then as a family when they welcomed son Magnus last year.

Now Chris, his partner, their young son and dog Jet will cross the finish line of his mammoth journey together in Swansea.

Almost at the end of his stunning walk, Chris said it wasn’t without its challenges, revealing he had to scavenge for food and even rummage through bins with no money.

Adventurous couple Chris and then-girlfriend Kate Barron met while exploring Scotland. Pictured December 2020

He also fractured his ankle, had to pull a tooth out himself and went without food for several days as he was stranded on an island whose boats were unable to cross during the lockdown.

But he said the support of people he met along the way who sponsored him helped him anyway. “In the beginning it was more difficult because nobody knew what I was doing.

“Over time people’s generosity has been brilliant, that’s what pushed me to rebuild that trust in myself.”

The intrepid hiker said he looks forward to hitting the sauna when he finally completes the year-long journey, which they hope to do soon.