Daniel Forrester, a 47-year-old landscaper from Chelmsford, is about to undertake an extraordinary and emotional journey that stretches far beyond physical endurance—it’s a journey driven by love and memory. On September 20, 2025, he will begin a walk from Romford to Ghana, carrying the ashes of his late fiancee, Caroline Sarpong.
The date is particularly poignant—it was the day the couple had planned to marry. Instead of exchanging vows, Daniel will be walking 5,000 miles through Europe and West Africa to her hometown of Kumasi, Ghana, ensuring her legacy lives on every step of the way.
Caroline Sarpong, who battled colorectal cancer that tragically spread to several organs and later became a cancerous brain tumour, passed away on November 11, 2024. In life, she was described as selfless, caring, and endlessly compassionate. In death, her memory will be carried by the man who loved her deeply.
Daniel Forrester’s journey is not just a tribute to her life but also a powerful gesture of resilience and devotion. Along the way, he hopes to raise money for Saint Francis Hospice in Havering-atte-Bower, where Caroline received what he described as “exemplary” end-of-life care.
A Love That Transcends Time
The love story of Daniel and Caroline began in 2023, after Caroline had been through a harrowing medical journey. She had previously undergone emergency surgery when her bowel ruptured, following intense abdominal pain.
Doctors gave her just six months to live in 2021. Defying expectations, Caroline went into remission in January 2022, and a year later, she met Daniel. Their connection was swift, strong, and transformative. Within 11 months, they were engaged, planning a future full of dreams and hope.
“She was just so selfless and caring,” Daniel said of Caroline. “She literally put everyone first.” Through his words, it becomes clear that Caroline was not just a partner but a guiding light in Daniel’s life.
“I can’t do her justice by telling you what she was like… for me, she’s my angel,” he said. Her strength through her illness and the joy she brought into his life transformed Daniel profoundly. He credits her with helping him become a better man.
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Their time together may have been short, but it was filled with depth, love, and meaning. When Caroline passed away, Daniel found himself at a loss, struggling to cope with the weight of grief. It was a dark period where even the simplest tasks felt insurmountable.
But an unexpected source of inspiration—a book about a person walking from London to Rome—sparked something within him. “Within 10 pages, I decided to go for a walk,” he recalled.
Walking Through Grief and Across Continents
The idea for the journey from Romford to Ghana began to take shape soon after Caroline’s funeral. Just before Christmas Eve, Daniel Forrester walked from Chelmsford to Barking to deliver gifts to Caroline’s family and collect her ashes. That solemn walk turned into the first step of what would become a life-changing pilgrimage.
From Romford, Daniel will start his journey at Saint Francis Hospice, where Caroline spent her final days. He will walk to Canterbury, taking a boat across the Thames from Barking Riverside to Woolwich—a route the couple often enjoyed together on date nights. From there, he will head to Dover and ferry across the English Channel to Calais, France.
His path will continue through southern France to Lourdes, then across Spain to Gibraltar. The plan is to reach Gibraltar by December 2, marking one year since Caroline’s funeral.
This part of the walk alone—more than 1,200 miles—will take approximately 72 days. It’s a physically demanding challenge, but also an emotional one, as each step brings him closer to her homeland and offers healing along the way.
From Gibraltar, he will board a ferry to Morocco and begin the African leg of the journey. His path will take him through the Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast before finally reaching Kumasi in Ghana. The entire trip is expected to take between six and 12 months, depending on the terrain, weather, and Daniel’s physical endurance.
This epic walk is not just about covering miles—it’s about carrying a legacy, a memory, and a promise. Daniel says the challenge is helping him grieve.
“After her funeral, I was at rock bottom. I couldn’t think of anything to motivate me to even open the curtains,” he confessed. Walking has become his way to process the pain, to honour Caroline’s strength, and to give back to the hospice that made her final days peaceful.
A Mission Beyond Mourning
Daniel Forrester’s mission is multi-layered: it’s a tribute to the woman he loved, a personal path to healing, and a charitable initiative. He has set a symbolic fundraising goal of £1 billion on his GoFundMe page—not because he expects to reach it, but to emphasize that every donation, no matter how small, matters in keeping Caroline’s memory alive and supporting the hospice that cared for her.
“The level of care for Caroline was really out of this world,” Daniel Forrester said about Saint Francis Hospice. “Nothing was too much trouble for them as they attempted to make Caroline’s final days as comfortable and as dignified as they possibly could.”
His admiration for the hospice staff is heartfelt. In an experience marked by suffering, the dignity and care they offered became a source of comfort he wants others to benefit from.
This journey, with its countless steps, border crossings, and hours of solitude, is Daniel’s message to the world: love does not end at death. It evolves, it transforms, and it continues to give. “I just wanted to show to everyone, even after her passing, what a beautiful, wonderful woman she was,” he said.
Daniel Forrester carries not only Caroline’s ashes but also her spirit, her story, and the bond they shared. He walks for her, but also for anyone who has ever loved and lost. His journey is deeply personal, but it also speaks to a universal human experience—the pain of loss, the desire to honour our loved ones, and the healing that comes from action.
Though the road from Romford to Ghana is long and full of uncertainties, Daniel Forrester’s commitment never wavers. Whether crossing European cities or navigating the deserts of West Africa, he remains focused on his mission. And every mile, every blister, every challenge faced on the road is a testament to the power of love that refuses to fade.
As he makes his way to Kumasi, he’s not alone. In every footstep, Caroline is there. In every passerby who stops to ask about his journey, in every donation made in her name, in every sunrise and sunset on the road—her memory lives on.
And when Daniel Forrester finally reaches Kumasi, with her ashes in hand, it won’t just be the end of a journey. It will be the culmination of a powerful love story—one that didn’t end with goodbye but continues on, step by step, across continents and through hearts.