ON Sunday, October 8th, Kris Saunders-Stowe, group exercise instructor at Wheely Good Fitness, will be supporting one of his clients to complete their own, personal half marathon.

Elliot Evans, 28, who lives with Cerebral Palsy, is a wheelchair user and started attending Kris’ exercises four years ago.

He receives support through the national disability charity, Scope, to live with as much independence as possible.

Kris Saunders-Stowe said: “This was one of the reasons I became so involved with supporting Scope over the years.

“Since attending the classes there has been a huge improvement in his physical abilities, improved overall fitness, and range of movement, as well as increased confidence and social skills.”

In 2015, Kris supported Elliot in his first half marathon, the Hereford Half, and also in the Cardiff Half, in 2016.

In 2015, he also took part in the sprint section of a paratriathlon at Dorney Lake, and this year he competed in the 250 meter section of a sprint paratriathlon, again at Dorney Lake.

Kris said, “He rides horses at the Herefordshire RDA at Holme Lacy, which he loves and has done so since he was three years of age. He finds it has helped to stretch his legs, which are restricted by the Cerebral Palsy, whilst also improving his posture and core strength. In addition riding helps with his mood, as he finds the horses calming and friendly and he has a strong social group at Holme Lacy.”

Elliot’s aim is to raise £5000 for the Herefordshire RDA at Holme Lacy, by doing a sky dive and running in last weeks Cardiff Half Marathon.

On September 22nd he completed the tandem skydive, and was all set for last weeks Cardiff Half Marathon, but unfortunately, due to the risk of severe weather forecast, they were unable to run.

“The cold can increase spasticity and pain with Cerebral Palsy and reduce an individuals physical abilities. For myself being at high risk of pneumonia and having joint problems, being sat wet and cold for several hours is not the best position to be in.

“Whilst it is good to challenge ourselves and push the boundaries, it is always important to remember that we are not invincible and take heed of good advice.”

Kris was very keen to find a substitute for the Cardiff Half Marathon, something that was perhaps different, and that they could be in control of, with regards to the weather and timing.

“On the way back from teaching at Hereford on Saturday, it occurred to me that Ross to Hereford would make a good half marathon, and if we chose to go via Holme Lacy it would enable us to go past the RDA itself.

“The route does have some nice downhills, but it does have many uphills. Elliot is quite strong and having supported him in the Hereford Half 2 years ago, which also had some steep hills in the route, I know he will be able to take on the challenge.

“Elliot is very fit and capable of competing on his own, however, he does need support to help keep focused and also to be aware of the risks around him, due to reduced spacial awareness and peripheral vision, and so I support him to ensure he can be his best and safe.”

On Sunday, October 8th, Kris and Elliot will be setting off from Old Gore and the route will take them through How Caple and through Fownhope, before turning off onto Holme Lacey Bridge to the RDA. From there they will continue on towards Rotherwas, before joining the Greenway Loop cycle route and crossing over the Millennium Bridge. They will then continue around the back of the town into the park at King George V playing fields, before crossing the finish line at the back of the Hereford Leisure Pool.

“It would be great if people could spare some time to cheer Elliot along the route, and we have put a route map together with the anticipated arrival times at specific points.

“Some of the places we are hoping to get some cheers, are when we make it to the top of a hill, such as the one before the How Caple crossroads. This will be where Elliot will have struggled and used a lot of energy, and a few smiling faces and cheers helps to invigorate and revitalise you when you are on a long run.” The finish line is the outdoor seating area of the cafe at Hereford Leisure Pool, a great place for people to gather and have a drink whilst waiting.

They are hoping to arrive there between 12 and 12.30, but have set up a page where people can follow his progress live, using a routemap linked to his GPS tracker. This will also enable people to get a better idea of what time he will be arriving at the mentioned cheering points.

“Elliot’s best half marathon time is 3 hours and 10 minutes, and I know he would like to beat this, but we don’t know how he will fair on the hill climbs yet!

“I am hopeful and will do my best to help him achieve his goal.”

You can also donate to Elliot’s fundraising via his My Donate page: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/elliotsjumpoffaith