From the moment his daughter Charlotte was born, adventurer Jamie Fitzgerald knew he would have walked to the ends of the earth for her. And the first-time dad was more than happy to trek the length of the North Island to help other Kiwi kids.

Jamie (30), who has also walked across Antarctica to the South Pole and rowed across the Atlantic, says the idea for The Big Walk sprang from his concern about the high number of youngsters who drop out of school, end up in jail or take their own lives.

Joining forces with Kiwi mountaineer Graeme Dingle, who is also co-founder of the Foundation for Youth Development, Jamie decided to take groups of at-risk kids with him on The Big Walk.

Even though it has meant spending 60 days away from his family and missing out on Charlotte’s first birthday, Jamie believes it was well worth the sacrifice. “It’s amazing how much more alive these children seem,” he says. “We took disengaged kids from the community and helped them to feel passionate about life. It’s so important because, for many, the slippery slope can be very nasty.”

Charlotte was born while Jamie was organising the epic project and her arrival brought home to him how important it is to make New Zealand a better country to grow up in. It’s a sentiment shared by his wife Kate (33), who supported his decision to take on the mammoth challenge.

Although little Charlotte’s father wasn’t there to enjoy her first birthday cake, she doesn’t seem to hold a grudge – the wee cutie has nothing but smiles for her dad. “I’m really proud of what Jamie’s done,” says Kate. “And it’s going to be awesome for Charlotte to know that her father has made a difference. It’s really inspiring.”

While Jamie kicked off The Big Walk in Cape Reinga, Graeme strode forth from Bluff and the pair, along with all the kids who have been involved, finished their walk this week. They’ll soon be meeting with government ministers and business leaders in Wellington to share their experiences and come up with some strategies for a combined approach to achieving some long-term changes.

“This is different from any of Jamie’s other adventures,” says Kate, herself a former competitive rower. “When he rowed across the Atlantic, I didn’t see him for three months. This time I didn’t have to wait for those phone calls like I did from the South Pole, where he sounded nearly dead. Sometimes I’d have liked him to be there to help with the nappies, though!”

“There’s no chance I could have done this without Kate,” says Jamie, fondly. “She’s so patient and understanding. It’s knowing that I’ve got something solid in my life that keeps me going.”

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