'˜I'll work out for 24 hours to help this little boy'

William Calvert helps David Cook get in shape for his big day of fundraising.

The South Shields man has revealed his mega challenge which starts at 6pm tomorrow night at the Territorial Army Hall, in Northfield Gardens, South Shields.

He will punch a boxing bag and mix it up with sit-ups and press-ups in his campaign to raise thousands of pounds for William Calvert, aged 4.

William, from Sunderland, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) which is an incurable muscle-wasting disease.

His parents Rob and Caroline Calvert, both 29, have launched a drive to support more research into the condition and David, 53, is determined to help.

David, who works for Sunderland Council and is also in the Army reserve as a Staff Sgt with the Royal Artillery 101 Regiment, has put in six months of training to get ready for the challenge.

“I’ve done a lot of cardio work on leg machines, step-up machines and I have used the punch bag,” said David who is also a PT instructor.

“When I get tired, I will think of who I am doing it for and how it will raise awareness. I am doing this for William, He is my motivation. This challenge will be tough physically and mentally. It’s fine when you start off but when you get to midnight and you start going into the next day when you should be sleeping, that’s when it gets tough.

“But I want to raise money and awareness so that hopefully we can find a cure one day for this.”

Caroline described David’s help as “fantastic.” She said: “I certainly could not do what he is doing.”

Caroline, a secondary school teacher, added: “What David is doing will be a huge help to our fundraising.”

William, who attends Castletown Primary, was diagnosed after his parents took him to a walk-in centre last December after discovering a lump in his neck. Further tests revealed the genetic disorder, which was confirmed by doctors on December 18, 2015.

David is no stranger to fundraising. He has taken part in the Great North Run dressed in full combat gear, walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall and completed the Lyke Wake Walk.

Last year, he rowed on a static machine for 24-hours at the army hall to raise cash for the Royal Artillery Charity Fund.

Now he’s back with a new challenge to back William.

To find out more, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/david-cook-in-for-will