A CYSTIC fibrosis sufferer from Dawlish is running a mile every day for a year to raise money for three charities which are close to his heart.
Craig Jones, 36, has set himself the ambitious target of running three laps of The Lawn a day in a challenge he has called A Mile Round The Green.
His efforts are raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support and the South Western Ambulance Service.
Previously Craig, who was diagnosed with the condition at three weeks old, has twice run the London Marathon and several 10km runs.
He began his daily runs on New Year’s Day but is aware he needs to pace himself to keep going for 365 days.
Craig said: ‘I had a challenge trying to pick a particular charity so I chose three.
‘As well as the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, I wanted to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support too as my aunt Judith McKenzie died last year very quickly from brain cancer.
‘I couldn’t attend her funeral so I wanted to do something to honour her.’
He described her as an ‘outdoorsy’ person so he wanted to do something outside in her memory.
He explained: ‘Also my wife Robyn is a Dawlish paramedic so I wanted to support the South Western Ambulance Service charity.
‘The last two years have been difficult for everyone in the NHS and these three causes are all very close to my heart so I hope I can try and raise money for them throughout the whole year.’
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition which causes a range of symptoms including thick, sticky mucus in the lungs.
It meant Craig was classed as clinically extremely vulnerable during the pandemic.
He said his wife had been a great support and shielded to protect him while the couple had a young baby at the beginning.
He said he has found it tricky not to do the runs too quickly.
He said: ‘I have to keep thinking I’m doing this for 12 months and I need to remain fairly consistent.’
To follow Craig’s progress, see his Instagram account and follow links to his Just Giving pages at @Craigj85Linktree.