Star of The Traitors, Andrew Jenkins, is close to completing his charity trek as he walks through Powys this week.

In the next week, Andrew’s walk will take him through Wales as he treks through Knighton, Gladestry, Talgarth, Brynmawr, Cwmbran, and Caerphilly Castle before finishing at Cardiff Castle on Sunday the 10th of November.

Andrew is entering the final week of his challenging UK charity trek, which began on the 29th of September at the famous Scottish castle used to film The Traitors, and will end in Cardiff. It marks a major milestone for Andrew who was told following a serious road accident when he was aged 21 that he may never walk again.

Andrew sustained a serious brain injury in the accident and was unable to continue his promising rugby career. He was described by doctors as a ‘miracle patient’ after making a full recovery.

Finalist of the popular BBC show, Andrew is walking 1200km over 42 days to raise funds for Headway – the brain injury association. It is thought to be the first charity trek along this particular route. He has already walked through Scotland and northern England, as well as visiting Northern Ireland along the way.

Speaking to The Brecon and Radnor Express in August, Andrew said that his chosen route was the ‘perfect opportunity’ to raise awareness of the work that Headway, does for brain injury survivors across the UK.

He said: “I am really pleased to be able to take on this challenge. My recovery has been a long journey, and I am passionate about talking about my experiences and encouraging others to talk about the adversities they’ve faced in life. This route is the perfect opportunity and I’m so excited to meet people along the way, and to raise awareness of the incredible work that Headway does for brain injury survivors across the UK.”

As well as taking on the physical challenge, Andrew is on a mission to raise awareness of brain injuries among communities along the way, by talking about trauma and the importance of addressing mental health openly. “Anyone who has had a brain injury, or trauma, the more the merrier. I want people to join me, and break the stigma.”

He’s also using the walk to raise awareness of mental health challenges, for men in particular, having experienced periods of poor mental health himself over many years. During the trek, Andrew plans to give talks on well-being and mental health to a series of sports and community groups along the route.

Andrew said: “I’m also undertaking this challenge for everyone out there who has been told they can’t do something, who think they can’t achieve anything, and who have lost their self-belief. I want to show them that even though life can feel impossibly hard at times, there’s always a way forward - literally one step after the next can take you a long way.

“And I want to show people that talking about how we feel helps us move through the challenging times, as well as showing others who might be feeling the same that they are not alone.”

Jen Murgatroyd, Headway’s Director of Fundraising said: "We are immensely grateful for Andrew’s dedication and efforts in taking on this challenge for Headway.

“The money raised will go towards things like our Emergency Fund that helps family members be at the bedside of their loved one in critical care, or our nurse-led helpline that provides essential information and emotional support to brain injury survivors and their families.

“We are proud to have Andrew champion our cause and I’m sure his journey will give hope and inspiration to other brain injury survivors."

In the coming days, Andrew’s walk will take him along the following route:

Monday 4 November - Montgomery Castle to Knighton

Tuesday 5 November - Knighton to Gladestry

Wednesday 6 November - Gladestry to Talgarth

Thursday 7 November - Talgrath to Brynmawr

Friday 8 November - Brynmawr to Cwmbran

Saturday 9 November - Cwmbran to Caerphilly Castle

Sunday 10 November - Caerphilly Castle to Cardiff Castle

Charity donations can be made via Andrew’s Givestar page.