Ongar nine year old raises over £3,500 with daily running challenge
His original target was £100
Hector ran one kilometre on a running machine every day for more than 60 days to raise funds for St Clare Hospice in memory of his Grandad Bobby
Submitted for publication by Rebecca Day of St Clare Hospice
Hector Bodiam aged nine from Ongar in Essex has completed a lockdown running challenge after 60 days, raising more than £3,500 for St Clare Hospice in Harlow who cared for his grandad Bobby.
Bob Bowers, was cared for on the Hospice charity’s Inpatient Unit for two weeks before his death from oesophageal cancer on April 21, 2017, when Hector was just six years old.
On January 6, Hector began his challenge when his primary school was shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic. His family wanted to find a way to keep physically active during the winter lockdown. Hector ran one kilometre on the family’s running machine every day for more than 60 days until Sunday, March 7, and raised over £3,500 for the hospice charity.
His original target was £100, an amount which he smashed in just three days, reaching over £1,000. His fundraising page reached £3,530 which is enough to fund the charity’s Bereavement Helpline for more than two weeks.
Hector said: “I can’t believe I managed to run every day for more than 60 days – and I got faster and fitter every time. It’s been a really good thing to do during Lockdown, and I loved checking my online fundraising page and see the money coming in. I was so chuffed when it went over £3,500.
"Now that I am back in school I have decided to end the challenge, but I’m really proud of everything I have achieved.”
Hector’s mother, Claire said: “We are just so proud of Hector for committing to this challenge for such a long time. When he started at the beginning of January, we didn’t know how long the lockdown would last, but he managed to keep it going solidly for more than 60 days straight. Even on the days when he didn’t fancy running, he always managed to carry on.
"Hec has been so motivated throughout the challenge by the thought of raising money for St Clare and it was such a good way to keep him focussed on something positive throughout the winter lockdown. I am just so proud of Hector, and so thankful to everyone that has sponsored him, for helping to raise such an amazing amount for the Hospice.
"St Clare’s is such an incredible place and a great local cause who need our support through the pandemic more than ever. We hope Hector’s Lockdown Kilometre Challenge inspires other people to take on fundraising challenges too. We just wanted to raise awareness of how amazing St Clare’s is and to help raise funds to support them through the pandemic which has had such a negative impact on their ability to fundraise.”
You can still donate to his fundraiser here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/claire-bodiam1
For more information about St Clare Hospice care, visit: stclarehospice.org.uk
