In 2016, whilst working in the Caribbean, on the island of Grand Cayman, Zara Dyer suffered a stroke whilst driving and subsequently crashed the car she was driving. She was just 29 at the time.

The crash left Zara with life-changing injuries, including six bleeds on the brain, a traumatic brain injury, a broken neck, paralysis, and complete loss of feeling on her right-hand side and nerve damage to her eyes.

She was airlifted by emergency medical transport to Miami, and was not expected to survive the injuries she had sustained. She was accompanied by her partner, Ian Brown, and her family in the UK were told to fly to Miami, expecting the worst.

Having spent the next four weeks receiving intensive rehabilitation for over six hours a day, and learning to speak, swallow and stand again, she was allowed to fly back to the UK.

Returning to her home town of Lowestoft, in Suffolk, Zara was admitted to a local rehabilitation centre called Icanho Livability that specialised in treating people with brain injuries and over the next nine months, learnt to walk and regain some of her independence.

Through sheer determination and courage, Zara wanted to repay the people that had helped her in her recovery; so, in 2018, she decided to start a registered charity called 3 Million Steps (for literally and the metaphorical recovery process), with the aim of raising £20,000 to buy equipment that would be donated to specifically help other people suffering from all types of brain injuries.

In early May of this year, Zara and Ian began their epic journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End, a walk of over 1,000 miles, and are planning on walking ten miles a day. So far they have completed over 800 miles, taken over 1.8 million steps and raised over £6,000 of their target.

Zara and Ian will be passing though Midsomer Norton this Saturday, 24th August, having walked from Bath, continuing on to Wells the next day, and would love locals to join them and show their support.

You can meet them outside the Town Hall, Midsomer Norton as they set off to Wells this Sunday, 25th August from 8.15 a.m. for an 8.30 a.m. start. Walk with them as far as you like! If you would like to donate, then please contact them via their Facebook page, 3millionsteps or via the website: www.3million steps.org