A father of eight is attempting to take on a mammoth challenge in a bid to raise money for military charity, Walking with the Wounded. Dave Reading has ditched his unhealthy lifestyle – which included 60 cigarettes a day – and has taken up running in order to make a life change for his family and the charities he supports.

Dave from Dereham initially starting running marathons back in 2014 in order to improve his health. After a couple of years, he is now getting ready for his biggest challenge, which will see him run from Land's End to John O'Groats next year.

Not only is the 837-mile journey a way from Dave to push himself to his limits, he is also hoping to raise awareness of those in the Armed forces who suffer from psychological issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

The drive for Dave to improve his health initially came from his children, all eight of them. He wants to inspire his kids, who are aged from four to 16, to get healthy too. 

“My running has changed all our lives for the better. We work hard on our nutrition and healthy diets these days. We are all so much fitter and happier,” he told Walking With the Wounded.

Dave, an aircraftsman in the Royal Air Force (RAF) who is stationed at FAR Marham, decided to raise money for Walking with the Wounded and the Royal Air Force Association after seeing himself the effects that combat can have on servicemen and women's mental health. 

“The planning for this challenge started some time ago. Whilst talking to colleagues I realised what a massive issue PTSD and other mental health issues are in the armed forces. Until recently this hasn’t been addressed very well," he said.

“So by undertaking this massive mental and physical challenge I am not only attempting to raise lots of money but also to share awareness of not only the physical sacrifices made by our service personnel but also the health problems that are not visible to the eye."

Dave still has some time to prepare, which is why he will be undertaking a practice run from Halesworth to Taverham on November 5th. 

As well as raising money for great causes and inspiring his family to be healthier, he also wants to beat the current world record for run time. This was set in 2006 by Sharon Gayter, who ran for 12 days, 16 hours, 22 minutes and three seconds. Good luck Dave!ADNFCR-2867-ID-801827711-ADNFCR

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