Featherstone dad signs up for virtual London Marathon in support of Down's Syndrome Association

A dad from Featherstone has signed up for the London Marathon to raise funds for the charity that supports children with his son’s condition

After riding 100 miles and raising £2,500 for the Down's Syndrome Association, Dad of one, Chris Sharp, wanted to do more to raise funds for a charity close to his heart.

The charity helps people born with Down's Syndrome, including Chris’ 9-month-old son Reggie, by supporting families and providing resources for service users.

His initial £2,500 worth of funds was matched by The Card Factory Foundation, who were moved by Chris’ fundraising efforts, bumping up his total to over £5,500.

Chris Sharp by Graham Beardsley/Atmospheric images

Motivated Chris decided he wasn’t going to stop there, so on Friday August 28, he signed up to run the virtual London marathon, which will take place Sunday, October 4.

Chris said: “The marathon is going to be just as difficult as the 100 mile bike ride because the furthest I have ran since the beginning of March is 9 miles.

“And now I've signed up to run 26.2 miles with a matter of weeks to prepare myself.

“I’m really determined - when I was doing the bike ride, I thought a lot about Reggie and the other people with downs syndrome out there, who can all benefit from the funds that will be raised.”

Chris and his partner, Georgie, received immediate support from Down’s Syndrome Association

To donate to Chris' cause click hereWhen Reggie was born in December last year, Chris and his partner, Georgie, received immediate support from Down’s Syndrome Association.

It was at that moment that Chris decided he wanted to raise funds for this charity, that will help his son grow up to lead a full and rewarding life.

As well as running to raise funds, Chris says he also hopes to raise awareness for those with disabilities.

Chris said: “Raising all this money can help out so many people and it can also give DSA what they need to support people.

“I want to emphasise the importance of spreading downs syndrome awareness to a wider audience.

“People need to know about what the condition entails, like the feeding difficulties, mobility issues and sometimes families have to learn sign language to communicate with their children.

“Since I started my fundraising, many people have been engaged and asking questions, which is really nice to hear.

“Reggie is my pride and joy and we want kids like him to grow up as independently as possible, and that comes with people being accepting and understanding.”