Postman's marathon challenge

A POSTMAN will be taking on his biggest charity challenge yet, as the call of April's London Marathon beckons.Tony Miles, 30, of Mill Court, Holt, is based at Royal Mail's Fakenham office and will be taking on the gruelling 26.

A POSTMAN will be taking on his biggest charity challenge yet, as the call of April's London Marathon beckons.

Tony Miles, 30, of Mill Court, Holt, is based at Royal Mail's Fakenham office and will be taking on the gruelling 26.2 miles to raise money for the Neurofibromatosis Association with his partner's son Freddie in mind.

Freddie, seven, has the neurofibromatosis condition, one of the most common genetic disorders which affects one in every 2,500 people worldwide - some 25,000 in this country alone.

It can affect any family, with no previous history of neurofibromatosis, through new gene mutation. Symptoms can include behavioural problems, epilepsy, hearing problems and tumours of the optic nerve and brain.

Previously for charity, Tony has ran in a total of five 10k races at both King's Lynn and Sandringham. He's also joined in the annual 10k cycle ride at Holkham in two of the last three years, only missing last year's event because of his Sandringham commitments. Last October he plucked up enough courage to jump out of a plane for the Big C.

With just a few weeks to go, things aren't going too badly, and with training really gathering pace, Tony's looking forward to the challenge.

“It's going to be my most daunting challenge so far but I have a very supportive team behind me, which is vitally important when taking on something like the London Marathon,” he said.

“I had been planning to hang up my trainers after the marathon for a while at least, but already I've signed up to what will be my third consecutive year in the King's Lynn 10k in May, just three weeks after London,” he added.

Luckily, Tony has been able to call on a vast array of advice and support thanks to his job as press officer with Fakenham Town Football Club.

“I'm lucky in the respect that if I'm in need of advice, whether it be related to nutrition, training plans or dare I say it injury concerns, I only have to ask at the football club. I've also got a good area in which to train on if I need a change of scenery.

The fundraising side of things is also hotting up, which partner Becki Godwin is in charge of. Local businesses have been approached in the hope they can help, and Royal Mail offer a matched giving scheme where they match up to a certain amount raised by their employees when it comes to charity.

Anyone wishing to support Tony in his exploits, can donate online by visiting www.justgiving.com/milo-nfa or by calling in to either Feeneys Newsagents in Holt or News-klip Newsagents in Fakenham with their sponsorship. Tony or Becki can also be contacted on (01263) 713294 or 0789 905 7877.