Tears on the square in front of the Willibrord Church in Borger. After an infernal journey over 150 miles barefoot, Jasper Wanders is warmly welcomed by his Alzheimer’s mother, lots of family and friends. In doing so, he is putting exercise space for Alzheimer patients on the map.
On Friday morning, Wanders left at eight o’clock in the morning from his hometown of Kwintsheul in South Holland for a hike to Borger. Barefoot. With his action, he collects money for the Alzheimer’s Foundation, which uses it to conduct research into the disease.
“My mother lives in a care farm in Borger. Alzheimer patients are sometimes angry and sad and don’t know why. My mother and other residents in Borger can then walk around in the garden of the care farm and relax again. That is so important.” Wanders thinks. “I did not know this until my mother came to live here. They are already locked in their bodies, then it is so nice that they can go outside for a while. That applies to many elderly people who live in orphanages. I would like attention there. even if it’s just a roof terrace.”
Walking barefoot is nothing special for the South Hollander. He is a podiatrist by day and runs barefoot. “I regularly get the comment when I walk barefoot through the village that I have forgotten something,” says Wanders. Because Alzheimer’s patients suffer from dementia and are therefore forgetful, the link was quickly made. “But I wanted to make it an extreme trip. In 54 hours, non-stop, walking to my mother.
Despite all his running experience, walking 150 miles turns out to be quite a challenge. Wanders: “After forty kilometers I started to feel the first pains in my thigh. Thirty kilometers later I couldn’t go any further. My thigh muscle hurt so much, nobody could touch it.” But the South Hollander has a goal and wants to complete his journey at all costs. If you can’t walk, then go by bike.
That almost goes wrong at the Oostvaardersplassen near Almere. In an unguarded moment, his rear wheel shoots off on a stretch of muddy road and Wanders is catapulted into the berm. He mercifully comes off with a bleeding hand. His sister, who rides behind him in the support team, collides with the bicycle and flips over. But Wanders can continue.
Last night at ten o’clock the walking cyclist arrived at the Dwingelderveld. Due to the many kilometers on the bike, the muscle in his thigh has started to relax. After a firm massage, Wanders makes a decision. He wants to walk the last 40 kilometers. That means walking through the night, so that he can give his leg enough rest in between.