A Sunderland soldier has started his mammoth challenge of running or walking 10 miles a day for 1,000 days to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
David Ansell has already done a half marathon every day for a year between September 2020 and 2021 but has set himself an even more extreme challenge for 2023 by either walking or jogging 10 miles for the next 1,000 days - a total of 10,000 miles! David took off from the start line on Thursday afternoon from Fenham Barracks, where he is the Squadron Training Warrant Officer.
Officer Ansell was inspired to do his previous challenge when his father, also called David, was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died just weeks into his son's first challenge in October 2020.
The elder David had thought his son was "absolutely bonkers", but told him "crack on son". Covid-19 restrictions meant that David could not visit his father freely during his illness, and that the effect of the disease had a profound effect on him,
He added: "When I finally got to go and see him, I saw the change and what cancer had done, to make him go from the bubbly person he was to the grey person he became. I wanted to do something to help."
His dad's memory is just one of the inspirations for his fundraising, with more than £18,000 raised for Cancer Research UK in a little more than two years. He is also raising money in memory of colleague Dean Ashworth, who died of oesophageal cancer in October 2020, and has been inspired by family friend Chloe Pescod, who had a heart transplant before developing cancer and is still undergoing treatment.
Chloe and her family nominated David as a Regional Fundraiser of the Year at the 2021 Pride of Britain Awards. And he has set his aim for his new challenge at £10,000, though admits "the more the merrier," in terms of cash for the charity.
Speaking to ChronicleLive at the beginning of his challenge, David said: "(I'm feeling) nervous and excited as well, really want to get into it, get the mileage done, start losing a bit of body weight and then start enjoying it more. Especially when people come along with me as well and actually see what I'm doing, and they go "my God, he's actually doing it"."
Michaela Robinson-Tate, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North East, said: "We are absolutely delighted but not surprised to hear about David’s latest challenge.
"Knowing how determined he is, we have no doubt he will complete the 10,000 day walk to help fund vital research. We can’t wait to follow his progress and we would like to say thank you and good luck to David."
For more information or to donate to David's JustGiving page, click here.
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