A STUDENT is preparing for a charity walk in memory of her brother.

Skye Drew, 17, is in training for a 1,000 charity walk and cycle ride from John o’Groats to Land’s End following the death of her brother Ryan Gooding, 27, who died in Newton Abbot last year.

Skye, an animal care student at Bicton College, is raising money for the men’s mental health charity, Andys Man Club.

Last September, Ryan’s body was found at a bus stop in Kingsteignton.

Skye explained: ‘Now that Ryan is no longer with us, I see it as a privilege to take on this End to End walk in his honour, and to raise awareness for men’s mental health and mental health in general.’

Skye, who has confronted her own mental health issues, has enlisted the support of mother Yvonne and sister Taryn to act as her back-up team for her two-month trek from Scotland to Cornwall.

She will also be accompanied by her springer spaniel Nova.

The walk starts in early July, and Skye’s training programme is well underway. She is currently seeking sponsorship support from businesses to help facilitate her ambitious plans.

'Losing Ryan,’ said Skye, ‘was a pain my family and I will never be able to explain and it affected us all differently.

‘Having autism, I deal with emotions very differently to other people.

'I don’t often cry when people die.

‘My way of dealing with the grief is to make a difference and to try and save at least one life.

‘Andys Man Club was very close to Ryan’s heart.

‘A keen boxer who found peace in the sport, he did a boxing match in aid of the charity.

‘I decided to raise money for them in his name to let everyone know that it may not all be sunshine and roses but there will always be someone out there for you whether you know it or not.

‘The 1,000 miles walk and cycle from John o’Groats to Land’s End is a huge challenge, but nothing will stop me if it means saving someone from the pain of living and saving a family from the pain of grief.

‘My training programme is going well and I can’t wait to set off from John o’Groats on July 5.

‘The End to End walk is something my mum and I talked about doing for a few years, but the timing was never quite right.

‘Now, it feels like the right time. This walk represents my love for Ryan stretching from one end of the country to the other.’

Steve Doyle, South West Area Lead for Andys Man Club, said: ‘The incredible challenge that Skye is taking on this summer is inspiring for everyone involved in Andys Man Club and we are so very grateful to her and all of Ryan’s family.

‘The charity can only exist and grow through awareness being raised by amazing people such as Skye spreading the word.’

Skye is currently trying to secure sponsorship for a camper van to allow her and her family to travel along the route and has set up a Just Giving page.

Anyone interested in offering practical sponsorship can contact Skye’s mother, Yvonne on 07712 343639 or email [email protected]