The silent traveller

After a punishing walk the length of Britain, one adventurer is determined to hike around the island to raise the profile of the deaf. PAUL LAMBIS meets him

For Mark Hodgson, walking from the extreme northern point of mainland Scotland to the westernmost peninsula of England was an opportunity to bring deaf culture into millions of living rooms across Great Britain, and break down stereotypes. “It was a chance for me to reframe the deaf community,” he said through his interpreter.

Mark was born in Preston, in Lancashire, England, in 1975. Profoundly deaf in both ears, he learnt to live with his disability but encountered many difficulties along the way. “I attended a school where sign language was non-existent, so I had to learn how to use words even though I could not hear anything,” Mark told Living. “I eventually enrolled in a school for deaf children where I was taught how to effectively communicate through body language, gestures, and hand shapes. This further motivated me to teach those who do not have hearing impairments to sign.”

As the years rolled on, Mark developed a passion for photography and travel, combining a life of wanderlust with a unique form of expression filled with nuance and individual perspectives. “Being deaf certainly makes me use my eyes more than the average person, and I often use photography as a tool to curate and reframe the world around me.

“There is something special about setting out on an expedition into the unknown and seeing the world,” Mark said. “Similar to being deaf, adventure travel pushes you outside of your comfort zone in unfamiliar situations, and challenges you to test your mettle.”

And that is exactly what he did. In 2019, Mark and his friend Daniel Dorney, and support driver Chris Potts, embarked on a gruelling journey from John O’ Groats to Land’s End, raising awareness and funds for deaf mental health organisations dedicated to making sure deaf people in the UK get the same access to healthcare as everyone else.

Over two months, Mark and his team overcame extreme weather, from torrential rain to some of the hottest days recorded in the UK, completing the 1,200 miles (1,930km) journey on foot and raising more than £60,000 for charity. “I am thrilled to be one of the first deaf men to accomplish this walk,” Mark told reporters on completing the walk.

During their momentous trek, the men received extensive support on social media, with hundreds of people turning out to meet them at various stops along the way. But Mark believes more needs to be done to promote mental health in the deaf.

As part of the #WhereIsTheInterpreter initiative in 2020, Mark participated in a protest march from Gloucester to London with hundreds of other members of the deaf community in the UK, bringing letters of protest to Downing Street, encouraging the government to take urgent steps in providing BSL interpreters at live news broadcasts, BSL clips in web pages, and ensuring written information is always provided in a means which is understandable to all communities.

The BSL Bill passed through the House of Commons in March 2022. “Caring about our rights has motivated me and many deaf and hard-of-hearing people to fight for change,” Mark said.

Mark’s family, now based in Paphos, are extremely proud of his achievements, particularly his mother Ruth. “His creativity and resilience are limitless,” she said. “Mark would never hide behind his disability, not even as a child. He always pushed himself to go further, overcoming various obstacles that he often encountered.”

Ans after recent fundraising journey across the UK, Mark now hopes to circumnavigate Cyprus on foot, raising awareness for the island’s deaf and hard-of-hearing community, which also feels isolated and disconnected from society. “The most defining moments in my life have been my charity walks, and I aim to make a similar impact in Cyprus, a country I am particularly fond of,” Mark said.

Mark has previously travelled to Nepal and Switzerland, and also across Europe in search of the mountains, where the beauty of the surrounding landscape helps him find inner peace. “Nothing compares to the sensation and freedom one experiences while standing at the summit of a mountain and taking in the breath-taking vistas. For this reason, I would love to conquer Mount Everest soon.”

Currently, Mark is developing an app that will serve as a travel guide for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Supported by his website and social media platforms, and an impressive number of fans who are following him on his epic and inspirational travels, Mark is bringing about political and social change wherever he goes, and his actions certainly speak louder than his words.