No turning back!

My name is Ben Growden, an artist from Manchester who has carried questions and burdens for too long.

On September 2nd, 2025, I stood at The Bund in Shanghai — one of China’s most iconic landmarks — and began walking. Not for leisure. Not for adventure. But to confront myself and to complete the first chapter of a far greater journey: a walk from Shanghai to Manchester, UK.

That morning I set out at 10 a.m., bound to cover 30 kilometers. The weight was not just in my pack but in the years of hesitation that had kept me still. Procrastination, fear, the endless excuses of everyday life — all of it had stalled me. But something inside shifted. I realized this journey is the one thing that could carve meaning into my days.

I chose to walk for mental health — mine, and others’. To speak openly about my struggles, my healing, and the hard road between. To share how I became who I am today, and to invite others to see that the road forward is possible, even when the world feels heavy.

This is not just a walk. It is a promise.
A vow to keep moving, to speak honestly, to live deliberately.

There is no turning back.
And I don’t want to do it alone.

Let’s walk this road together.