A WINSFORD husband who was told he would never run again conquered a tri-sport challenge to raise money for a hospice that cared for his wife after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Dave Pickles, 41, suffered a serious back injury in 2012. He was told he would never be able to run again, but somehow managed to overcome the odds without the need for surgery.

Following a gruelling 10-week training programme, earlier this month Dave pushed his body to the limit to swim, cycle and run for four hours each – racking up a 5-and-a-half-mile swim, 57-mile cycle and 30-mile run.

Dave’s efforts helped raise £1,300 for St Luke’s Hospice, based in Winsford, which treated his wife Sarah after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2014.

The incredible endurance challenge also marked the opening of the Crewe Lifestyle Centre.

Dave said: “This was a thank you to St Luke’s from my family. You might not know St Luke’s until you need their support, but they are a pillar of strength in the community.

“Thank you to everyone who has donated. It’s so emotional that you’ve donated so much and it means so much to so many people, you won’t know how far your actions actually go.”

Supporters exercised alongside Dave for parts of the event, his wife Sarah, Crewe Lifestyle Centre manager Richard Jones and fundraisers from St Luke’s Hospice.

Dave and his wife both received complementary therapies such as hypnotherapy and reflexology during her time at St Luke’s, which he described as a ‘pillar of strength within the community’.

He said his challenge was as much about raising awareness for St Luke’s as it was raising money for them.

St Luke’s Hospice cares for adults living in mid and south Cheshire who are suffering from cancer and other life limiting illnesses.

The Winsford hospice have to raise £8,600 each day to enable them to provide free care and support to the people of Cheshire.

Angela Slack, community partnerships manager at St Luke’s Hospice, also joined Dave for part of his cycle.

She said: “What Dave achieved in his 12-hour event was incredible. Thank you so much to him for his ongoing support for St Luke’s. It was a fantastic event to be part of.”

You can still donate to Dave’s JustGiving page by visiting justgiving.com/David-pickles101EDGE