16 Jul 2026
In June 2026, childhood friends Rosemary and Suzanne cycled and walked over 280km across 12 days – enduring the Portuguese Camino route from Porto in Portugal to Santiago da Compostela in Spain, to raise money for our life-saving charity.
Battling never-ending cobbled streets in Portugal and hot summer temperatures in Spain, Rosemary and Suzanne kept going, with high spirits and hearty breakfasts fuelling each day. 
“The cobbled streets were tough in some places – we felt like we were being liquidised from the inside,” joked Rosemary. “The small boat crossing into Spain was an experience and some of the mountains in Spain were incredibly steep!
“But overall it was huge fun, a very enjoyable journey!”
Using Portugal Green Walks, the pair’s route had been plotted in line with their capabilities and mostly kept on quiet roads and boardwalks.
“We saw incredible coastlines, tall waterfalls, local wildlife and beautiful beaches – it was amazing and even sometimes, relaxing!” said Rosemary.
“It was a 280km adventure of a lifetime. If you have never thought of doing it, I would highly recommend it.”
Rosemary and Suzanne chose to fundraise for London’s Air Ambulance Charity with their incredible challenge and have raised over £1,000 to support our medics reach the most critically injured patients in time to make a difference.
“Your service is such an essential one, we would be much poorer as a society if we didn’t have you.
“You do such a great job saving so many lives, not enough people realise you’re not part of the NHS.”
If Rosemary and Suzanne have inspired you to pick up your walking boots and take on a challenge for our charity – while seeing some incredible sights – please let us know and our team will support you every step of the way.
It’s thanks to the efforts of people like Rosemary and Suzanne that we can continue to be here for London, ensuring more families get more moments, more memories and more time together.