A CONWY man has soldiered on through torrential rain, gale force winds, and a debilitating leg injury for Ty Gobaith Children’s Hospice.

At the start of June, Gareth Williams decided to begin an endurance challenge which saw him cycle and run more than 500 miles in just 30 days.

In total he completed more than 120 miles of running, 400 miles of cycling, 2,672 press-ups and nearly three hours of planking, raising more than £1,300.

Gareth said: "I have been humbled by the amount, everyone’s been really supportive and it’s made the whole thing worthwhile,” he said.

“Ty Gobaith does some remarkable work and I wanted to turn my personal challenge into a means of supporting a great cause.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has made a lot of us stop and think about what is really important in life. Ty Gobaith provide care to children and families who desperately need their care and support, and I wanted to try and help. I was aware that a lot of fundraising has been cancelled this year due to Covid restrictions, so I thought that every little helps.”

However, after a total of 120 miles pounding the streets of North Wales, Gareth pulled a thigh muscle.

“I managed to complete the 19km run I was on, although comically, I had to run home backwards part of the way, as I was unable to extend my leg fully when going downhill,” said the 43-year-old.

Ice baths that evening could not undo the damage, with the injury leaving him unable to walk without limping. Not to be discouraged, Gareth, who works as an engineer for a renewable energy company, decided to substitute the running challenge for cycling, as this used different muscle groups.

Sarah Ritchie, Fundraising Team leader at Ty Gobaith, said: “It is a challenging time for the hospices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the efforts of people like Gareth are very much appreciated.

“We rely on people like Gareth to keep providing the service we do to families and terminally ill children across North Wales, and that is why we are encouraging people to sign up for the Cycle 100 Miles in August challenge.”

Anyone interested in testing their limits for a good cause can sign up for the Ty Gobaith virtual cycle challenge and bike 100 miles throughout the month of August .

To sign up visit hopehouse.org.uk/Event/cycle-100-miles-in-august.