Torbay 12-year-old runs equivalent of the Tour du Mont Blanc to raise funds for DEC's Coronavirus Appeal

Danial running with his dog Alexi. Image: Phil Reilly

Submitted by Karen Garvin

During Lockdown 3, 12-year-old Danial from Torbay, in Devon has been running the equivalent of the Tour du Mont Blanc in aid of the DEC’s Coronavirus Appeal, and has already raised £1,207.

Danial has been running the equivalent of the Tour du Mont Blanc for four miles a day, with his canine running companion Alexi, up and down the fields and woods where he lives. The tour is a 110 mile hike with 5,000 metres of ascent, passing through parts of Switzerland, Italy and France.

Danial has more than doubled his original target of raising £500 to support families and communities in fragile countries who are most at risk of the effects of the pandemic.

Danial says: "I couldn’t see my friends, go to school, or play team sports when we went back into lockdown. I wanted something to focus on that would push me to achieve a goal, so I decided to do the run and raise money for a charity.

"We’ve all been affected by Covid-19 here, but I chose the DEC Coronavirus Appeal because there are people worse off than us and the DEC are helping them.”

The DEC’s appeal was launched to help people who have had to flee their homes because of conflict and hunger in places such as Yemen, Syria and South Sudan and who now face the additional threat of Covid-19.

Many of these people are living in crowded refugee and displacement camps where social distancing is impossible and where there are few health facilities. These people are desperately in need of medical facilities, food and water.

Saleh Saeed, CEO of the DEC, said: “We were thrilled to hear about Danial and his fantastic fundraising challenge. It’s really heart-warming to learn that, despite the crisis here at home, Danial is passionate to support people in fragile countries who were already vulnerable and struggling to cope and are now also facing the threat of Covid-19.

“Donations raised by generous individuals like Danial are being used to help fight the spread of Covid-19 by providing water, soap, and handwashing stations, supporting frontline medical workers with PPE and ensuring that the crisis doesn’t mean people go hungry and children become malnourished.  We are really grateful to Danial for this amazing effort and wish him the best of luck.”

Danial has now completed 101 miles and 4300m of his challenge. To support him and the DEC visit Danial's Just Giving page.