A FIVE-YEAR-OLD from Cwmbran has raised more than £1,000 for the NHS after taking part in the 2.6 challenge.
Millie Hopper has been using her daily exercise to complete the challenge, which she has been doing in laps of her estate.
As a keen runner, Millie’s dad Jake saw the challenge, and asked Millie if it was something she wanted to take part in.
“I haven’t really seen her much for the whole period, so I set it up for her as something we could do together," he said.
(Millie Hopper saying thank you to everyone who has supported her fundraising. Credit: Jake Hopper)
“I’ve done quite a lot of running fundraisers myself, so I thought it would be a nice thing to do with her.
“After I saw people were doing the challenge, I asked Millie if she wanted to do it.
“My mum works for the NHS and Millie’s uncle David and auntie Jade also work for the NHS. She’s been keen to do the clapping and drawing rainbows for the NHS.
“She has been asking a lot of questions about it. She knows why she is not able to see me or my family."
(Millie Hopper out running with her dad Jake as part of her 2.6 challenge. Picture: Jake Hopper)
When visiting Millie on Saturday, the father and daughter measured out one lap around their estate in preparation for the challenge.
"I took her for a few laps of the whole block and asked her if she wanted to do the 2.6 challenge over the whole week," said Mr Hopper.
"We measured it on Saturday and it was 260 metres, so throughout the week she needed to do 10 laps.
"She did two on Saturday with me. She's then doing one lap everyday in the week with her mum - Hannah Fortey - until Saturday, when she will do the final two laps with me again.
"Not being able to see her much during this time, hopefully this is something we can both look back on.
"I am hoping that this gives her a bit of an appetite for running like I have, so she can come with me and do some park runs in future."
Mr Hopper set up Millie's fundraising page on Friday morning.
"I put the original target at £126, but we reached that in about half an hour," he said.
"I then put it up to £260, which we reached in an hour. I put it up again to £500 and then to £1,000 - which we reached in about a day.
"She's been asking me every time a donation comes in who it is, and do we know them."
When asked if she wanted to say anything, Millie said: "Thanks for all the money for the doctors and the nurses."
At the time of writing, Millie had raised £1,120 for the Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board Charitable Fund.
To find out more, or to donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/millie-s-2-6-challenge2020
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