Ryan Olsen, a 16-year-old Viking reenactor from Ellesmere Port, is preparing to walk more than 100 miles to York in memory of a teacher who inspired him. The Whitby High School pupil will undertake the gruelling challenge to raise money for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.
In Memory of Hannah Freeman
Ryan is walking in memory of Hannah Freeman, a history teacher and fellow Viking reenactor who passed away in September last year following a battle with cancer. Setting off from Whitby High School in Ellesmere Port and then on to Chester, the route spans more than 100 miles and will be completed entirely on foot. Ryan will carry Viking equipment, including a shield, and wear period clothing.
The Journey
The dedicated teenager, a member of local Viking reenactment groups Unknown Vikings of Chester and Hearth of the Valkyrie, will start his trek on Saturday, July 18, 2026. He has set a target of reaching York within 12 days. His journey will take him through Delamere, Wilmslow, Marple, Glossop, Penistone, Barnsley, Pontefract, Leeds, and Tadcaster before arriving in York.
Training and Preparations
As part of his preparations, Ryan has been tackling increasingly demanding training walks. Last month, he completed a 23-mile walk from Waverton near Chester to Moel Famau in North Wales, taking 12 hours. This was his longest training walk to date. He documented the journey on social media so supporters could follow his progress.
Ryan's Tribute to Miss Freeman
Speaking about the challenge, Ryan said: "I wanted to do something that would make a real difference. Miss Freeman meant a lot to me, and this felt like a way I could honour her memory while helping other families facing blood cancer." He added: "Miss Freeman was the kind of teacher who believed in everyone, even when we didn’t believe in ourselves. When I started at Whitby High School, it was Miss Freeman who introduced me to my group of friends through her D&D Club. It was Miss Freeman who made boring history lessons feel like fun activities, and when she was diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year, she passed on a collection of D&D worldbuilding that she had been working on for over a decade to my friends and me, so I wanted to do something to honour that gift."
Supporting Anthony Nolan
Ryan's fundraising will support Anthony Nolan's work matching stem cell donors with people in need of potentially lifesaving transplants and funding research to improve transplant outcomes. His mother, Steph, who is helping organise the challenge, commented: "Ryan has really thrown himself into this completely. He's training hard, planning every stage of the route and pushing himself far beyond what most teenagers would ever consider. We're all incredibly proud of what he's doing."
How to Support
Supporters can follow Ryan's journey, training updates, and fundraising progress through his social media channels and fundraising page. He hopes his challenge will raise awareness of Anthony Nolan's lifesaving work while inspiring others to support the charity or consider joining the stem cell donor register. Anyone wishing to support Ryan can donate at www.justgiving.com/page/ryanswalktoyork.
