SHE lost both her legs in the London bomb blast caused by Huddersfield terrorist Jermaine Lindsay.
But 7/7 survivor Gill Hicks yesterday completed the latest stage of a defiant 200-mile challenge by walking through Dewsbury and Batley.
Mrs Hicks, 40, now wears prosthetic legs. She is walking from Leeds to London to encourage “honest dialogue” among diverse communities.
She said: “I am truly grateful to even be alive and I am determined to make my life count, to make a significant difference.
“Building peace and reconciliation and obviously trying to deter anyone from following a path to violent action is my main focus.
“I am not a victim, I am a survivor. But this walk is not about me.
“This is about a much bigger piece of work undertaken by many people and groups who want to make a difference and get communities communicating.”
Mrs Hicks, who is originally from Adelaide, South Australia, was the last person to be pulled alive from the wreckage of the Tube train blown up by Lindsay, 19 and from Rawthorpe, near King’s Cross station in 2005.
She later set up campaign group Making a Difference (Mad) for Peace with her husband, Joe Kerr.
The walkers set off from Leeds city centre on Sunday and walked through the suburb of Beeston, where bombers Shezhad Tanweer and Hasib Hussain lived.
The fourth bomber Mohammed Siddique Khan lived in Thornhill Lees.
The walkers were joined by about 40 people for yesterday’s stage of the journey.
They included Insp Ian Gayles, of the Dewsbury Neighbourhood Policing Team, Chief Supt Barry South and Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik.
Mr Gayles said: “I think that it is vitally important that we take the time to support Gill in her efforts to bring people together in this way.
“This is a subject which has clearly touched people's lives here in Kirklees and it is very humbling to see Gill take on this walk.
“It is testament to her character that in spite of everything she has gone through she is still thinking of others and trying her best to make a difference.
“We can all take from this example and make sure we are communicating in a healthy way that will ultimately benefit the communities right across the district.”
Mr Malik said: “She’s an amazing woman, a really inspiring character and very brave.
“The beauty is that this is a very simple idea, but she has turned a negative into a positive.
“Passing through this area is symbolic and a powerful way of bringing something new to the discussion about how we can move forward.”
Mrs Hicks will walk about 10 miles a day and pass through Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester and Luton before arriving in London on Sunday, August 17.
Dozens of other walkers from various backgrounds are joining in the different stages of the walk.
People can join the walk and get more information by registering at www.walktalk.org.uk
