A COLLEGE student has walked 36 miles in one day to help patients with heart conditions.

Harrison Harman, 18, of Portland, challenged himself to complete a 15 hour sponsored walk from one end of Chesil Beach to the other and back again to raise money for Wessex Heartbeat, which supports the work of the Wessex Cardiac Centre.

He set out alone across the 18 mile pebble beach at 8am on February 12 walking 18 miles to West Bay and arriving back at Portland at 11.30pm that evening.

Harrison said: “I came up with the idea myself because I wanted to raise money for Wessex Heartbeat.

“I managed to walk the 36 miles but I was exhausted at the end.

“The only times that I did stop were to have a drink.”

Money raised for Wessex Heartbeat helps to ensure that the best possible care is provided to more than 20,000 patients treated at the Wessex Cardiac Centre each year, one of the UK’s leading heart treatment centres.

Harrison, a Budmouth College student, made a speech during an assembly to encourage staff and students to sponsor him.

He said: “The money is being collected at the moment but I’m hoping to raise around £200.

“Lots of my friends at school helped me get sponsorship money.

“It was hard but I’m glad I’ve done it. After half term I will be able to see how much I’ve collected.”

Harrison’s mother Armi Harman said: “ I am very proud of what he has achieved.

“It is an incredible achievement on his part as he did it all alone.

“It was a very good and charitable thing for him to do.

“I was scared that he may not have been able to walk that far, it was really mind over matter.”