A man from Stockport who had to relearn how to walk following life-changing surgery is preparing to take on a 75km endurance challenge through the Peak District to raise thousands of pounds for charity.
Nathan Chilton, 39, will tackle the Peak District Ultra Challenge on 4-5 July 2026, with a fundraising target of £5,000 for Sarcoma UK. Originally from Derbyshire, he moved to Greater Manchester at the end of 2021 ahead of major surgery that would change the course of his life.
Hiking as a safe haven
Before his diagnosis and surgery, Nathan says hiking played a major role in his life and wellbeing, describing it as a safe haven. He explained that it has remained part of his recovery and healing journey over the past decade, eventually leading him into walking longer distances.
He said that having something to aim for and pushing himself physically gave him structure in everyday life, which became an important part of how he rebuilt his life after surgery. He also said that discovering longer-distance walking helped him regain direction, and that spending time in nature and setting physical challenges became a key part of both his mental and physical recovery.
He went on to take part in his first ultra-distance challenge in 2024, which he said sparked a continued interest in endurance events and the sense of achievement they bring.
Life-changing surgery
His challenge follows more than a decade of medical treatment after being diagnosed in 2013 with chondroblastoma, a rare bone tumour. Nathan said: “I am doing this challenge to prove to myself that anything is possible after life-changing events.”
“I was told that I would find it difficult to walk, that I might never walk without a stick. In 2022 I couldn’t take one step, on the 4th of July I will be taking 120,000.”
He has undergone three major operations, including a life-altering procedure in January 2022 when 75% of the right side of his pelvis was removed and replaced with a titanium implant. Recovery has been long and demanding, both physically and mentally. Nathan has had to relearn how to walk and adapt to a completely different way of living.
Training and milestones
In the build-up to this year’s challenge, he has been steadily increasing his training. He recently completed a marathon distance walk in Ashbourne, his longest so far at 26 miles, followed by a 17-mile walk the following weekend. He explained that he is now tapering his training, focusing on shorter distances, maintaining gym work, and trying to avoid injury ahead of the event.
He also reflected that in 2025 he completed a 50km walk as a personal milestone, not linked to fundraising, but that stepping up to 75km felt like a significant turning point and a full-circle moment compared to where he was just a few years ago. He described it as going from not being able to walk at all after surgery to taking on a distance he had never attempted even before his diagnosis.
Further health challenges
He has also faced further complications, including a recurrence of the tumour and secondary spread to his lungs, as well as being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2018, adding further challenges to his daily life.
Despite everything, he remains focused on his family, including his two-year-old son. Nathan said: “This walk is about showing what’s possible after all of that.”
“Not just for me, but for anyone facing something similar. I want to show my son that limitations are the ones we put on ourselves and that mindset is everything.”
He also added: “Also now being a dad your perspective shifts, I’ve got a two year old so my priority now is to be the best version of myself, I’m human I make mistakes but I need to be accountable for that, lead with integrity and my legacy if I was to not be here when he was older is that he can look back and see what I achieved.”
The challenge ahead
He also said that while he is physically capable of taking on the challenge, it will still be one of the hardest things he has ever done, second only to the surgery itself. He added that he feels much of his journey is difficult for others to fully understand unless they have experienced similar surgery or been closely connected to someone who has gone through it.
Nathan also reflected more broadly on his outlook, explaining that he has experienced hitting rock bottom multiple times in his life but believes it is still possible to rebuild and move forward. He said he hopes his story can offer encouragement, not by comparing struggles, but by showing that progress is still possible even after major setbacks.
Raising funds for Sarcoma UK
He is raising money for Sarcoma UK, the only UK charity dedicated to all types of sarcoma, which supports patients and families, funds research and works to improve awareness of rare cancers. Taking on the Peak District Ultra Challenge is both a personal milestone and symbolic marker of how far he has come since surgery.
The event will see him walk 75km across the Peak District alongside thousands of other participants taking on one of the UK’s toughest endurance challenges. As he prepares for the challenge, Nathan is urging people to support his fundraising through his JustGiving page, helping raise awareness of rare bone tumours and life after major surgery.
Entries are still open for the Peak District Ultra Challenge.
