BBC The Traitors star Andrew Jenkins will be walking through Knighton, Gladestry and Talgarth as part of his 1,200km walk across the UK.

Training all through the summer, Andrew is set to undertake his epic trek in support of Headway – the brain injury association.

Earlier this year, Andrew captivated TV audiences as he disclosed his near-fatal car crash in 1999. Feared dead at the side of the road, Andrew sustained a severe brain injury, and doctors initially told his parents he would never walk or talk again and might not even wake from his coma. Against all odds, Andrew made a miraculous recovery, being described as a "miracle patient”.

Speaking to The Brecon and Radnor Express, Andrew says: “My family were told on numerous occasions that I had severe brain damage, and from the scans doctors did on me they could see shadows on my brain. They said if I wake up I’m not going to walk or talk ever again. When I woke up, I remembered who people were but the doctors told me I’d never walk again and I told them “I guarantee you I’ll walk out of this hospital.” It took me two weeks to walk again. I defied medical advice and they couldn’t believe it. I met the professor who saved my life and he said I was a miracle, that I should be dead.”

Andrew credits his childhood for his resilience and thinks it played a part in his determination to get back on his feet again. “Growing up I was in a house with three brothers. We’re an old-school family, we’re big rugby boys. Looking back I did a lot of work on myself and mental health studying and reading. I imagine we’d call it toxic masculinity now. We didn’t show any emotions at all. On the plus side, it did give me strength and resilience to prove people wrong. So when they told me I wouldn’t walk again I wanted to prove them wrong and show that I could. I had internal self-belief, drive and motivation. I was twenty-one, and I had so much more to give. I wasn’t ready for that. I thought I could walk again and I did.”

Andrew, from Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, announced his monumental route, which will take him through all four UK nations, walking up to a staggering 40km per day.

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.”

Andrew will walk between castles in the UK, starting from Ardross Castle in Scotland where The Traitors was filmed, down to Cardiff Castle in his home city. His journey will include stops at Lancaster Castle in England and Carrickfergus Castle in Northern Ireland.

He mentions that he hopes some of the cast of The Traitors will join him on his trek. “We’ve got a WhatsApp group. We have a chat now and then and meet up when we can. We all get on. Hopefully, some of them can join me on the walk. Some will join me in Manchester, like Jaz, Paul maybe. That’s all being organised at the moment.”

But it’s not just his cast mates that he hopes to see. 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.

“The whole point in me doing it is to talk to as many people as possible. I’m hoping to stop every two days and give mental health talks if I can. The more people I talk to the better. I want to talk to people who have suffered with self-esteem, their mental health, and their trauma. I want to speak to people who have been through things and chat with them as we’re walking. I want it to be a happy thing, to encourage people to believe in themselves and join me on my walk.”

‘The Big Trek’ will start on September 29 and is expected to take over 40 days.

Speaking of his decision to go on The Traitors, Andrew says he hoped it would be an opportunity for him to raise awareness of mental health. “The only reason I went on The Traitors was to get a profile and talk about mental health and well-being. I struggled for twenty-five years with my mental health behind closed doors. This walk is to show people who have been told they can’t do something, or been told they’re not good enough or suffered a trauma or brain injury that they can achieve most things. If you put your mind to it you can achieve anything you want. So for me, to be told I wouldn’t walk again to now walking 1,200km is a big achievement.”

He also believes that discussions around male mental health are improving, but he would hope that he could help get more men voicing their struggles. “It’s going in the right direction but there’s still a huge stigma around it. I’m a big strong guy, and if I can open up and talk about it then anyone can. People message me and say that I’ve helped them open up. You go through life wearing a mask. All my life I wore a mask, acting like a big strong rugby man who couldn’t show his emotions. I always thought they made you weak. But being vulnerable makes you strong and courageous. I’ve taken off my mask and I’m now being true to myself. It’s hard, you feel isolated, lonely, vulnerable and out of control. But I feel content and happy that I’m changing lives now.”

He is raising money for the brain injury association, Headway. Headway works to improve life after brain injury by providing vital support, advocacy, and information services to brain injury survivors and their families. “I didn’t use them when I had my brain injury, but they asked me to front their national campaign a few months ago, and I’ve chosen them for this walk. They’re a great charity doing great things and they help change lives.”

The money that Andrew raises will go towards essential Headway services, such as the Emergency Fund, which helps family members be at the bedside of their loved one in critical care, or the charity’s nurse-led helpline, which provides essential information and emotional support to brain injury survivors and their families.

Jen Murgatroyd, Headway’s Director of Fundraising said: "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."

Supporters can contribute to his cause by donating at Andrew’s Givestar page.

Andrew is planned to arrive in Knighton on the 4th of November, with his trek from Knighton to Gladestry kicking off on the 5th of November. From the 6th of November, he will leave Gladestry and arrive in Talgarth, before leaving Talgarth on the 7th and going to Brynmawr.