Blood bike volunteers battle blisters to walk Drakes Trail in aid of Honiton-based Devon Freewheelers

Blood bike volunteers battled blisters to walk 21 miles and raise £200 in aid of the Devon Freewheelers charity, based in Honiton.

Married Amy and Anthony Ewens, volunteers for Devon Freewheelers, recently walked the Tavistock and Plymouth Drakes Trail, raising funds for the blood bikes service, which supports the NHS and community for free.

The Plymouth couple, who were joined by ex- and serving military friends, completed the trail in eight hours and were 'hobbling' with blisters when they limped across the finish.

Amy, aged 29, said: "It's the furthest I have ever walked in my life. My legs started to get a bit tight around three hours in and I could start to feel the blisters developing.

"We were about a mile out of Plymbridge when they burst on one foot and Marsh Mills when the they burst on the other foot." The group walked the 21-mile trail with pit-stops along the way, arriving back at the Barbican in the evening in time to catch the last ferry back to Mountbatten.

"When we got off the ferry we were hobbling. It was agony. The walk from the ferry should take about five minutes but it took us 20 minutes.

"It took two days for my legs to stop hurting."

Ambulance driver Amy, and 32-year-old blood biker Anthony, who serves in the Royal Navy, are gearing up to announce their next Devon Freewheelers fundraiser.

Last year the couple went head-to-head in a virtual challenge to walk from Land's End to John o' Groats for the Devon Freewheelers. Anthony, and blood car driver Amy, competed against each other in LEJOG21, both individually completing a distance of 874-miles, spread over several weeks. Amy, who has been volunteering for the charity for around two years, forged ahead finishing first - a month before husband Anthony, who was on duty with the Royal Navy.

Russell Roe, Devon Freewheelers CEO, based at charity's headquarters on the Heathpark Industrial Estate, in Honiton, said: "The charity relies on fundraising to keep the blood bikes on the road, so we are always indebted to our supporters.

"We are so grateful to Amy and Anthony for all they do for the charity – volunteering and giving up their free time to organise and take part in fundraising events.

"It's all thanks to the selfless volunteers, like Amy and Anthony, that the Devon Freewheelers can offer its services for free."