Worcestershire man getting ready to take on 220-mile running challenge in aid of hospice
Droitwich's Joe Hemming is aiming to run the entire length of the River Severn from start to finish to raise funds for St Richard's Hospice, who cared for his dad who passed away last year
A man from Worcestershire preparing to run the full length of the River Severn from start to finish later this year has said he's looking forward to it.
Droitwich's Joe Hemming will aim to complete the 220-mile route in June over six days, setting off from where the river begins in Wales and making his way along the Severn Way route to where the mouth of it is in Bristol.
The 33-year-old is taking on the challenge a year on since his dad passed away and fundraising for those who looked after him.
"My dad was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer last year and he got quite poorly in the June," he said.
"He was under the care of St. Richard's Hospice between the fifth and tenth and sadly passed away on the tenth.
"So the reason I'm doing this to raise money for St. Richard's Hospice and the care that they give to the community."
The army veteran, who spent 10 years serving after joining in 2009 when he was 16-years-old, being involved in operations in places such as Afghanistan and Kenya, said all that training will come in handy.
He's not underestimating the scale of the journey in front of him though.
"This is the longest river in the UK, so this isn't a light-hearted challenge," he said.
"I understand the risk and everything involved with it, but in terms of how excited I am I just can't wait now and I feel like I'm ready to go.
"My training's going really well, I’m staying injury free and I've upped the mileage a lot from the end of last year to now so, I'm really looking forward to it."
He sets off on the 5 June.