A Blackburn man is walking and jogging an astonishing 500 miles in 50 days to raise money for charity.
Forty-year Aftab Hussain said he had been inactive for the past 12 months and decided to walk and jog around different parts of Blackburn. He is documenting each day on his Instagram page to inspire others.
He said: “Due to the pandemic I have been working from home since March 2020. I had developed back problems from sitting on a chair all day for work and had become inactive for over a year. The lockdown and restrictions had taken its toll on the body and the mind.
“I had to do something to improve my fitness and mental health so I set this challenge.
“I went it without any training and only a few days after announcing it to colleagues, friends and family members.”
He said beginning the challenge proved to be a lot more difficult than he imagined.
“Day one came and I took off like a train only to realise it wasn’t going to be easy and finally made it home very late into the evening absolutely exhausted and practically unable to walk the following day.
“The following days and weeks have been extremely tough with me constantly picking up injuries whilst covering the miles. But I did not quit and I didn’t give up.
“I prayed and I continued and I covered over 10 miles without fail every day with the injuries.”
Aftab has recently completed day 39 and has walked 426 miles, “It is harder now due to Ramadan and fasting but the plan is to complete the 500 miles within 50 days.
“I have set up a Facebook and Instagram page with daily vlogs and stats which I post to provide updates and hopefully help inspire others to get active.”
Aftab, a business banking manager at HSBC Blackburn is hoping to raise funds for the charity Benefit Mankind which has been assisting vulnerable local families during the lockdown and also helping people worldwide.
Aftab added: “Benefit Mankind is working to fight hunger and the causes of hunger in 12 countries. The Ramadan projects combat drought, health crises and water contamination, and also boost livelihoods, supporting orphans, empowerment, protecting the vulnerable, and making education more accessible.”
You can follow Aftab’s journey on @couchto500milesin50days.
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