An Andover woman who walked nearly 5,000 miles across Europe to raise awareness and money for suicide prevention has revealed she has won a Pride of Britain award.
Kit Birks, 30, announced the emotional news after being surprised by family and friends during what she believed was simply a filming session with ITV.
The former nurse had been shortlisted for the Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award following her extraordinary Stride Beyond Silence challenge, which saw her walk from Nordkapp in Norway to the Greek island of Gavdos.
Kit said she had no idea an award presentation was about to take place and believed she was filming social media content with ITV before people close to her suddenly appeared from behind a bush.
The surprise left her in tears and, in her own words, “utterly speechless”.
Announcing the news afterwards, Kit said: “I won a Pride of Britain award.
“What a day, what a moment… one I’m still recovering from. I was so surprised. How some of my nearest and dearest kept this secret from me I do not know.
“I had no idea what was happening. I thought I was just supposed to be filming some content with ITV for socials and then as I walked along suddenly a whole load of people jumped out from behind a bush.
“It left me in tears and utterly speechless, a moment I will remember forever.”
The award marks another remarkable chapter in a story which began many years before Kit took her first steps across Europe.
Kit, who is from Andover, has spoken openly about experiencing mental illness from a young age, including depression and anxiety, before later struggling with self-harm, eating disorders and drug and alcohol addiction.
She has previously described how her addiction eventually resulted in homelessness and attempts to take her own life.
After entering recovery, Kit began using writing and poetry as a way of processing her experiences and went on to become an increasingly prominent mental health advocate.
But in 2025 she decided she wanted to turn that advocacy into action.
On 7 July 2025, Kit set off from Nordkapp in the far north of Norway on what would become an extraordinary 343-day journey through Europe.
Her Stride Beyond Silence challenge took her through ten countries before she finally reached Gavdos, Greece, in June 2026.
Kit covered almost 5,000 miles – around 8,000km – during the expedition, carrying what she needed on her back and facing everything from Arctic conditions and snowstorms to extreme heat, mosquitoes and remote wilderness.
According to ITV Meridian, she spent 210 nights sleeping in a tent and 308 days of the challenge completely alone.
She also carried a memorial flag bearing the names of people who had lost their lives to suicide.
Throughout the journey, Kit documented the highs and lows on social media, attracting an international following while continually using the growing attention to speak about mental health and suicide prevention.
The challenge raised more than £100,000, with money supporting Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and James’ Place.
James’ Place provides free treatment to men experiencing a suicidal crisis, while CALM works to prevent suicide and provides support to people struggling with life.
Kit’s achievement attracted attention far beyond Andover, with her story appearing across national and international media.
ITV Meridian recently featured Kit as one of the region’s Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year nominees, highlighting both the extraordinary physical challenge and the personal story behind it.
For Kit, however, the award is about considerably more than recognition for walking thousands of miles.
She said receiving it during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month made the moment particularly significant.
Kit said: “I feel so honoured, what an amazing thing especially during suicide prevention awareness month.
“I hope this shows people who are struggling that life does indeed get good again and not only that, but it presents you with wonderful unimaginable moments that are definitely worth sticking around for.”
She added: “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Kit’s Pride of Britain recognition comes just three months after she reached the end of her historic journey – a journey which began with one woman leaving the Arctic carrying a backpack and a message and ended almost 5,000 miles later with more than £100,000 raised for suicide prevention.
For Andover, it also means one of the town’s own will now be associated with one of the country’s best-known awards celebrating extraordinary members of the public.
The Pride of Britain Awards recognise people from across the UK whose courage, fundraising, campaigning or actions have made a difference to others.
Kit’s recognition follows a journey which has taken her from some of the darkest moments of her own life to completing an extraordinary endurance challenge watched by people around the world.
And the message she carried from Andover, through ten countries and all the way to the southern edge of Europe remains the same: life can get better.