Pair who ran 219-mile length of the River Severn for mental health charity smash fundraising target
A man from Cosford has completed an incredible 219-mile run along the entire length of the River Severn to raise money for a mental health charity.
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Cameron Bates, 25, ran the length of the River Severn last week in a bid to raise money and get more people talking about their mental health.
He undertook the massive adventure with his friend, Tom Probert, 26 from Esher near London. So far, the pair have raised almost £10,000 for the mental health charity Mind.
The pair began at the source of the Severn in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales on Sunday, April 28. Their six-day journey saw them run through Newtown, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Worcester and Gloucester before finishing at the mouth of the river in Severn Beach on Friday.
Cameron said he had come up with the 219-mile undertaking while he was struggling with his own mental health.
He said: "I was struggling very much last year. I needed to give myself something to do, something that would get me opening up about it.
"So I decided to train for this run and Tom wanted to do it with me. I'm not really a runner, I haven't really done anything since school so it was starting from scratch really.
"Working up to the challenge with an aim to try and get as many people talking and opening up gave us a focus during a hard time."
Cameron, who now lives in London while working in property management, said he chose the Severn because it was "home".
"It was incredible. Very challenging, but enjoyable as well. There were lots of highs and lows but you keep battling on. At times it was hard to just put one foot in front of the other.
"But sticking together, and the chats we had along the way made it all worthwhile. The cause kept us going."
Three days after completing the mammoth challenge, Cameron said he was nursing his aches with a huge sense of pride.
"I'm pretty sore, but it's good. It reminds us why we did it, puts it all into perspective.
"Crossing the line was a very important moment for us, having everyone there at the end - you really can't put it into words."
The pair had set out to raise £5,000 - but now their total has almost reached an incredible £10,000.
"The support already has been incredible," Cameron added. "To reach £10,000 would be a dream."
Donations are still open and can be made online at: justgiving.com/team/sourcetomouthofthesevern.
