A 62-year-old volunteer van driver for people with disabilities is gearing up to take part in the London Marathon - which will be his 81st long distance race in the space of 10 years.
Gurbir Singh Parmar, also known as Arnie, volunteers at Leonard Cheshire's Symonds House care home in Hitchin, and has worked with people with disabilities for many years.
On October 3 he will be running the London Marathon for the fourth time, and this will be his third time running it for Leonard Cheshire.
He said: "I ran my first half-marathon at the age of 52 and in the last 10 years have completed 80 half marathons, full marathons, 20 mile races and 10k races.
"With the marathon being postponed due to COVID, I'm really looking forward to getting back out there and giving it my all for a charity that has meant a lot to me over the years!"
Arnie is looking to raise £1,500 for Leonard Cheshire and has received support from the Hitchin community, including a sponsorship of £500 from Nisa local in Woolgrove Road.
Gagandeep Singh, proprietor of Nisa local, said: "We are proud to sponsor Arnie Parmar as he is raising money for a very worthy cause that is close to our heart.
"We know that Arnie raises money for Leonard Cheshire regularly and volunteers his time for the charity too.
"His enthusiasm, along with the fact that the money is going to be spent in our local community, means it is a pleasure for us to sponsor him.”
Leonard Cheshire supports people with disabilities worldwide and runs care homes, supported living facilities and services across the UK.
Marcus Missen, Leonard Cheshire's executive director of fundraising and marketing, said: "It’s incredibly exciting to have Leonard Cheshire runners attending the first full-participation London Marathon since 2019 and we’re absolutely thrilled to have 48 runners taking part in this flagship event.
"Our supporters are crucial in helping us continue our work around the world and we are so grateful and proud of all the runners in Team Leonard Cheshire.”
To support Arnie go to https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ and search 'Gurbir Singh Parmar'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here