Hero second year runs 147km in a week with a broken wrist and infected foot

Chris Priestly was raising money for his paralysed brother


An inspirational finance and banking student ran 147km in a week with an infected foot and a broken wrist.

21-year-old Chris Priestley, didn’t let his injuries stop him from running to raise money for his brother Jonathan who is paralysed from the waist down.

The determined second year even woke up at 5am most days to squeeze in a run before his 9ams.

Chris raised £2,400 in total for the charity during his week of half marathons.

Jonathan who is 19 and studies Politics at Nottingham University has been confined to a wheelchair for the majority of his life after suffering the neurological condition Transverse myelitis.

Last year Chris joined the triathlon club at Cardiff Uni, intending to raise money for the Transverse Myelitis Society.

But just weeks before taking part in an Ironman triathlon event he injured his wrist. So having “never run more than six miles” he decided to run seven half marathons in seven days.

We spoke to absolute legend Chris who told us: “My brother and I are incredibly close and his disability is almost unheard of.

“I was going to run a Half Ironman but I broke my wrist on a night out and I was no longer able to participate in cycling and swimming.”

“For most of the runs I got up at 5am to fit it in before my 9am lectures. I had this great feeling that I was making my brother proud and the support I had from friends and family was really what kept me going.”

“On the Friday before the half marathons I didn’t have any trainers, so I went out and bought some on the Saturday which turned out to be a big mistake.”

“At the end I was admitted to hospital with a serious foot infection and was put on a drip for two days. They said I was incredibly close to losing my toe.”