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Asthma can't stop marathon man Jeff
AN asthma sufferer is set to run 12 marathons in 12 months in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for worthwhile causes.
Hartlepool-born Jeff Carter, 41, is about to embark on the challenge of a lifetime.
Throughout 2010 he will put his body through a 26.2-mile run every month in aid of Asthma UK and other charities.
He said: "It's the biggest challenge I have ever done. When I first told my family they did not think I was totally serious, but when I started sending in the entry forms and doing long training runs they realised it was going to happen."
Jeff, who grew up in the town's Lancaster Road and attended Dyke House Secondary School, was diagnosed with asthma over 20 years ago, but suffered from the symptoms long before.
He said: "Having asthma myself made me unable to do anything like this and there was a time when I struggled to run a mile, but advances in medication have changed my life.
"Now I just want to be able to give something back and show everyone that being in control of asthma can let you do anything you want."
Jeff, whose mum Christine Henderson, 63, and step-dad John Henderson, 65, live in Powlett Road, in Hartlepool, became a keen runner and started taking on the challenge of local 10k races.
He said: "I took part in a half-marathon and I wondered if I could do a full one.
"It occurred to me when I was out that if you could do one, you could probably do two and it spiralled from there."
Jeff's wife Sharon, 38, is also supporting the Parkinson's Disease Society, Pancreatic Cancer UK and a hospice in Watford, where he now lives, and aims to raise 1,200 for each cause.
The dad of Zack, 13, and Emily, 10, added: "All of the charities I am raising money for have been a part of the lives of people I have known in some way."
Jeff's first race is the Gloucester Marathon on January 24, and from then on in he will be taking part in races across the country as far north as Edinburgh and as far south as Cornwall.
He will also be venturing abroad to Berlin for a race in September, and where there is no race available, he will complete the distance on his own.
Anyone wishing to make a donation or read about Jeff's progress can visit his website, 12 Marathons in 12 Months, at http://12m12m.com or follow him on Twitter as jeffcarteruk.
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Weather for Hartlepool
Saturday 04 February 2012
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