Brian Johnson

In 1997, Brian Johnson’s surgeon told him he would never walk again and recommended early retirement from his career as a physics and sports teacher! A couple of years later Brian was able to start playing bowls and return to very gentle walking and, in 2002, he thru-hiked the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail through the mountains of California, Oregon and Washington. Since then Brian has done two more thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2700-mile round-Britain walk, a single summer compleation of the Munros and climbed all the Corbetts (Scotland’s 2500-3000ft mountains) and Grahams (Scotland’s 2000-2500ft mountains). In recent years he has concentrated on the Pyrenees and has completed ten traverses from Atlantic to Mediterranean on the Pyrenean High-Level Route, GR11 or GR10. While he was unable to walk Brian did many multi-week canoe tours in Sweden, France, Spain and Portugal and has also completed a 2200-mile cycle tour of Spain and France. In his younger days, Brian’s main sport was orienteering, competing at a high level and coaching Bishop Wordsworth’s School and South-West Junior Orienteering squads. After a 25 year break Brian has been able to return to competitive orienteering. A keen climber and hiker, he led school groups in Britain and the Alps. Brian competed to a high standard at cricket, hockey, and chess, his crowning achievement was winning the 1995/96 World Amateur Chess Championships. He now concentrates on bridge.