When we heard this story from our accommodation provider Ian at the Old Water View in Patterdale, The Lake District, we just had to share it! Congratulations to Rachael, Ian's daughter, and the youngest person ever to complete the English Coast to Coast walk three times! Ian's story.... "Rachael asked me when she was just aged 5 years old... "Daddy, what is this Coast to Coast that all of our guests talk about? Is it that van that brings bags?". I laughed and told her that the tradition is that you get your boots wet in the sea and pick up a pebble, then carry it 192 miles and throw it in the sea and get your boots wet again! Rachael replied "wow can I do that, please please can I do the C2C". I said yes you can do it when you are aged about 15 because it is such a long way and it is very hard. 18 months later aged 6½, she said "Daddy, you know that I could do that C2C don't you". I though secretly to myself that she probably could do it so I planned it and she did complete it without even a single blister! She was aged 7 years, 3 months and 23 days and completed it on Aug 9th 2011. In the final mile of that C2C she said "please can we go home for a couple of days to see mummy and then can we do it all over again?". I said "no" to that too because there are lots of other fun challenges that we can do. Two weeks later, Rachael's older sister Catherine (age 10) was looking at the photo's and said "Dad I wish I had come with you now when you asked me. Please can I do it in 2012?" I said yes to that but was ambushed by Rachael who said "hey that's not fair, I asked to do it again and you said no to me". What could I say to that!! So on Aug 2nd 2012 both girls completed the C2C making Rachael the youngest person to complete two C2C's in a year (51 weeks between finishes). Again on the last day of C2C2, I was walking ahead of the girls when I heard Rachael plotting with Catherine. Rachael asked her sister "how can I get Daddy to let me do another C2C because I really want to be a triple C2Cer". Catherine's reply made me smile... "why would you want to do that? It's a nightmare!". Listening in to the plotting with great amusement, I realised that I could not deny her that if she wanted it so much and before I knew it, Rachael became the youngest ever triple C2Cer when she finished at Robin Hoods Bay on April 17th 2013 - her 9th Birthday!! The story will be available in bookshops soon and is called 'Rachael - A Remarkable Record Breaker' Thanks Ian, an inspirational story which we hope will encourage walkers of any age to challenge themselves. Old Water View has been welcoming visitors for over 100 years http://www.oldwaterview.co.uk/ Discover more about the Coast to Coast Walk, in the footsteps of Alfred Wainwright