Doug's half marathon challenge

COMPETING in a half marathon is not easy by any-one's standards but doing it in a wheelchair is a real challenge as Wetherby man Doug Paulley will verify.

Doug, who lives at Wharfedale Lawns, Wetherby's Leonard Cheshire Home, has set himself the mammoth challenge because he wants to raise money for the well-known charity Disability Sport England.

Doug, who voluntarily teaches IT at St James' Primary in Wetherby and works on the website for Wetherby Methodist Church, has already been training regularly since September last year to be fit in time for the 13 miles he will be doing in the York Half Marathon in January 2004.

To do this Doug also needs to raise money for a new light-weight racing wheelchair which costs in the region of £2,500 to £3,000. He hopes to raise the money within the next six months so he can get used to it.

He said: "It has always been my ambition to complete the half marathon but I can't do it in this chair; it's just too heavy."

A new wheelchair would also make it easier for him to enjoy his hobby playing badminton at Wetherby Methodist Church.

Doug has already raised £1,200 towards his goal with money coming in from various businesses in Oldham where he grew up but also local businesses like Wetherby Cinema and the Wetherby branch of Barclays Bank. He is now trying to enlist the support of more businesses and individuals in the Wetherby district.

If you want to support Doug in raising money for a new wheelchair and for Disability Sport England you can contact him on 0---- ------.