Retired Shoreham flight instructor: 'Walking helped my depression'

Dorothy Saul-Pooley, 64, said she took up the pastime after David Hockings, 67, was killed in an accident in Spain. The couple were still close friends.

Dorothy, who previously owned a flying instruction business, said the loneliness she suffered after the country went into lockdown led to her suffering with depression.

She said: “His death was tragic, we were friends for 30 years. He was in charge of safety so it was unbelievable.

“During the lockdown I suddenly felt very alone. I would go out for walks because it gave me a chance to say hello to people.

“Walking has been such a saviour from the depression, particularly when you are walking in fantastic nature.”

Dorothy says that she has found walking "therapeutic" since lockdown

Dorothy, who lives in Shoreham, said she took up flying as a way of battling the depression she faced in her first job as a London lawyer.

After retraining to teach other flight instructors and examiners, she found a great love for flying before retiring shortly before the Covid-19 lockdowns.

She is now looking to use her love of walking to help others in the way it helped her by raising funds for mental health charity Mind.

After previously cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats for charity, she is now trying to go one better by trekking over 500 miles in the next five weeks.

Her journey will begin in the Pyrenees and take her over rough terrain to Santiago de Compostela in north east Spain.

Dorothy will be trekking across the Pyrenees and the north of Spain. Image: Mike McBey | Creative Commons

She said: “I heard about this trek and I thought that sounded like the sort of thing I would like to do.

“I’m doing this with injuries to my foot so it will be quite a challenge.

“Mind has local branches and the money will go to help provide listeners and people at the end of the telephone.”

So far Dorothy has raised over £3,500 for the charity, and is striving to hit her target of £5,000.