A teenager, who has raised more than £7,000 by running a mile a day since the start of the year, is raising the stakes.
Thirteen-year-old William Priddy is hoping to run an incredible 104 miles – the equivalent of four marathons – throughout May. He has been inspired by our Jog 26 Miles in May Challenge, which his sister Amelia, 15, is taking part in.
Since 5th January, William has been running a daily mile around his back garden and is planning to continue his challenge for a whole year. He decided to fundraise after his dad Greg was diagnosed with a primary brain CNS lymphoma (PCNSL), which cannot be removed by surgery due to its location deep within his brain. Greg has been undergoing gruelling chemotherapy and is preparing to undergo a stem cell transplant.
William, who is covering an average of 3.6 miles a day, said: “Amelia has been my biggest cheerleader ever since I started running a mile a day at the beginning of the year. I have been running my miles doing lengths of our garden and have managed to completely ruin our lawn, but fortunately Dad and Mum don’t mind as it’s for a cause so close to our hearts.
“We were all totally shocked when Dad was diagnosed in November last year and then we were devastated to learn on Christmas Eve that his brain tumour was cancerous.
“Dad is our hero. As we can’t do anything ourselves to help Dad get better, doing Jog 26 Miles in May or, in my case four times that distance, seems the next best thing and gives us something to focus on during these tough times.”
To support William’s amazing fundraising, please donate to his JustGiving page.
Related reading:
- William’s story on Charity Today
- Son inspired to “do something positive” after dad’s diagnosis
- Granddaughter’s fundraising marks anniversary of tragic loss
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