A CWMBRAN fundraiser raised more than £5,000 after cycling up and down the Tumble 24 times in just over 24 hours.

Former Royal Marine Allen Cameron covered a distance the equivalent of cycling to the top of Mount Everest and beyond during his charity challenge in aid of Myeloma UK.

He was inspired to embark on his fundraising mission after his mum was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in October. He decided to do the Tumble challenge after feeling compelled to give back to the charity.

Mr Cameron, 41, said: “I have never quit at anything and once I had done the Tumble 22 times, which is the distance of Everest, I felt I needed to do at least a couple more.

“I was so tired and I stupidly couldn’t sleep the day before and spent my downtime checking over the bike. But I also found a puncture to repair, it meant I hadn’t slept for about 42 hours.”

Mr Cameron finished the challenge in 24 hours and 42 minutes.

Mum Pamela has been going through chemotherapy for the last few months with help from the charity and Mr Cameron said it really hit home when her and his dad couldn’t go on their annual holiday to France.

“It was great having people come and cheer me on," he said. "My dad Stuart and Sean Lambert were around the whole way through and I couldn’t have done it without them.

“I had people blowing their car horns at me and friends coming to cycle for an hour or so, even our MP Nick Thomas-Symonds came. It all kept me going and I knew that whatever the pain is I am going through, it is not going to be as bad as how my mum is feeling.”

Friend Gareth Bridgewater added: “I drove through with music blaring out for Allen to show my support and then a few of us did an hour cycle before work.”

Now a fireman, Mr Cameron has always been active whether through running and playing football until tearing his cruciate ligament in 2011, when he reverted to cycling. Last year he cycled up the Blorenge 15 times for charity and felt he had to go one better for his mum.

You can still donate at http://bit.ly/1Oh3vca