Wigan dad completes emotional Alpine challenge in honour of daughter and raises more than £6,000 for children’s hospice
A Wigan dad has completed a 284km trek across the Alps after his daughter survived a horrific stabbing at a children’s playground in France.
Dale Turner finished the challenge in Annecy, a lakeside town in south-east France where the attack took place in June 2023.
He set off on 19 June and spent more than two weeks crossing France, Italy and Switzerland, climbing 14,354 metres and raising more than £6,000 for Derian House Children’s Hospice, far exceeding his original £1,800 target.
The attack happened during a family holiday in Annecy in 2023, when a man stabbed four children aged between 22 months and three in a playground. Dale’s daughter Ettie, then aged three, was stabbed in the chest as she sat in her buggy. The three other children were also seriously injured, but miraculously, all four survived.
Dale said the experience was the most traumatic moment of his life and left him determined to do something positive in response.
So, he chose to raise money for Derian House Children’s Hospice after seeing the care it provides to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families, saying he wanted to help other families going through difficult times.
Dale’s trip has also been entirely self-funded, so every single penny raised will go directly to Derian House.
Throughout the trek, Dale wore a bracelet made by Ettie with the word “Daddy” on it, given to him before he left so she would feel close to him while he was away.
He said: “Every day since that attack I am reminded just how lucky we are to enjoy a normal family life with our happy and healthy little girl.
“Spending time at Derian House was a profoundly humbling experience that highlighted just how much these children and their families deserve our support.
“For this reason I’m pushing my physical limits to help ensure these children don’t have to face their mountains alone.”
Speaking after completing the challenge, Dale said: “That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There have been aches, pains, goosebumps and tears, especially when meeting the Mayor of Annecy.
“I’m feeling quite tired now but also very proud to have supported Derian House.”
After more than two weeks away, Dale joked that another challenge now awaits at home after promising partner Rickie he would catch up on household chores.
He ended with a message for his family: “Thank you to Rickie for putting up with me and letting me bugger off for over two weeks. I can’t wait to get home to you and Ettie.”
If you would like to donate, Dale’s fundraising page remains open here.
Note: The man accused of carrying out the Annecy playground stabbing in June 2023 was arrested at the scene. French authorities are continuing legal proceedings ahead of a trial.
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