Alan Shearer said: "I think we are all in awe of Keith" after Newcastle supporter Keith Dungait finished a mile-long walking challenge in his garden and raised almost £3,000 for the Alan Shearer Foundation. Dungait had been told years ago that he would never walk again, yet he managed the walk in just a few weeks using his walking frame.
Dungait's garden challenge
Dungait said he liked a challenge, which is why he decided to try walking a mile. He described how hard walking became after his injury, saying, "When you can walk, you don't think about it [but] when you can't, the mechanics of walking are really hard."
The effort meant 50 steps a day in his garden, and he said, "It's been really good for me because it gets me up and doing stuff every day." That is where the story lands best, in the work of doing something small every day until it becomes a mile.
Shearer's reaction
Shearer said the walk was "one of the biggest and best stories that's come out of this campaign." He added that doing it in his garden over nearly four or five weeks and raising nearly £3,000 was "unbelievable."
Dungait also said the challenge changed how he saw himself. "I had to push myself and it's made me realise that I can do more than I thought I could," he said.
The Move a Mile campaign is still aimed at raising £1m for the foundation, including a second hydrotherapy pool at its centre in West Denton. For Newcastle, the league form remains mixed, with the club 14th in the Premier League, on 8 points from 7 league games and a goal difference of -4.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
