3,000 miles in 300 days in memory of Tom Hardman

Will Purser, director at Battersby Sports Ground Supplies, has entered 2021 with an ambitious challenge – to cover 3,000 miles in 300 days to mark what would have been the 30th birthday of his friend, local cricketer Tom Hardman.

Tom, a former pupil at Holy Family RC and CE College, was a gifted batsman and bowler who played for the Lancashire second team as well as Middleton Cricket Club prior to his sudden death aged 21 from SADS (sudden arrhythmic death syndrome) in November 2012.

At the time, Tom was studying for a sports and exercise science degree at Leeds Metropolitan University and had recently been named captain of the university’s cricket team.

He would have turned 30 on 3 December 2020.

 

 

Will, who founded the annual TH96 run in his friend’s memory for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) , will be covering the distance by walking, running and cycling to mark the #TH96Thirty.
 

Read more: Tom Hardman charity events raises £10,500Published: 06 June 2014

Will is 33 days into the challenge, has completed 417 miles thus far and raised over half of his £5,000 target.

He said: “Tom's story has been shared far and wide and we hope that by continuing to host events such as this we can not only raise money to fund both much needed research and heart screenings but that we can also raise awareness.”

CRY is a charity that aims to prevent sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research. Their screening programme enables those aged 14 to 35 to have a free electrocardiogram (ECG), which measures the electrical activity of the heart muscle.

Every week in the UK at least 12 fit and healthy people, all aged under 35, die of an undiagnosed heart condition.

Most cardiac abnormalities can be diagnosed from an ECG.

To donate, please visit:

• www.justgiving.com/fundraising/th96run2020