Walking 630 miles and as far I can go

I completed the South West Coast Path from Poole to Minehead last summer. It was the longest walk and craziest thing I've ever done as I turned 43 on the trail. It was also my first long distance walk, carrying my own camping equipment in a 13kg rucksack. I had never hiked in Singapore where I grew up and only discovered my passion for hiking after moving to Hong Kong in my early twenties.

Hong Kong has been my home for 19 years. I have been a researcher on suicide prevention and neurodiversity, and was enrolled in a PhD program when Covid broke out. My research explored the lived experiences of autistic adults across the globe. I set myself an ambitious goal because neurodiversity research has a huge diversity problem which excludes people from multiply marginalized communities from participating. I know it would be hard but what I wasn't prepared for is the overwhelming feeling of debilitating defeat and emotional fatigue, the betrayal and loneliness of being surrounded by people in the field steeped in authoritarian medical narratives that treat lived experience with disdain or tokenistic inclusion, reducing complex social problems into personal deficits and failures. I was depleted, burnout and quit my PhD. I fell really sick physically.

I was looking to connect with my tribe when I was in the UK, people I knew from my research and advocacy circle. Hazel and her team at CACIC (Chinese Autism Community Interest Company) responded to my email and went the extra mile to talk to me. When I was in Wales, Hazel invited me to join their activities for parents of autistic children. Here is someone who actually works on the front-line and puts her advocacy into action. Over these years, Hazel has gained recognition as a strong advocate, raising awareness of autism and neurodiversity to international communities. 

Hazel and I share a global vision with CACIC's work extending beyond Chinese communities and Wales, but it'd be remiss to think we bonded because we are both Chinese, which is a very diverse culture. Rather it is our shared experience of growing up as a Chinese in South East Asia, and now living and advocating as a minority community in this so-called global Neurodiversity Movement. 

We all have a voice, but some of us have to work harder, speak louder, shout at the top of our lungs to make ourselves heard, and still we might not be listened to. More problematically, our silence is taken for acquiescence when many are suffering, and remain silent for many reasons - no one asks, no one talks, apathy, stigma, taboo, inaccessibility, fear for our safety, systems that exclude us from participating on an equitable basis, and so on.

Media is replete with narratives on the health benefits of walking, but walking in the outdoors is a privilege not everyone has access to. Further, the conditions that led to my burnout require a structural solution which walking alone cannot fix.

Every time I read about a suicide on HK news, I think about the things I could have done, the questions I could have asked to shine a light on people's experiences, challenges and needs. Every time I come across a research exploring neurodivergent lived experiences, I think about the neurodivergent people from minority background that research don't reach out to and the research participants I have let down. I can't save lives but research could bring hope (or so I thought) in the form of amplifying minority voices, facilitate social change and collective action. 

In times of powerlessness, walking is the only thing that keeps me going and the only thing I know how. 

I walked the SWCP last year to grieve the loss of my cat who passed away a few months before my walk. This time, I walk for myself and to raise funds for CACIC and the South West Coast Path Association. Your donations will reach them directly (80% to CACIC, and 20% to SWCPA) if you donate through Givewheel. In addition to, or in lieu of monetary donations, I invite donations in the form of personal stories if you have one to share - if my story resonates, if you are sick and tired of waiting for policymakers and researchers to take an interest in your story, if you want to tell your story in your own words. With your permission, I will share them on this page.

So much talk for now, it's time to walk the talk. Sea you on the coast path!

You can follow my journey on https://www.instagram.com/justafairday/

To find out more about CACIC, please visit https://chineseautism.org.uk/

To find out more about SWCPA, please visit https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/

I wouldn't mind a little help and coffee to get going. If you can offer a room to stay at a reduced rate or somewhere along the coast path for me to pitch my tent, please let me know. Or buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/lincheng

Thank you to every trail angels I met along my journey. Thank you for your kindness and support.