Two boys from Capel Bangor are honouring their late brother by taking on two running challenges for the Wales Air Ambulance.
Despite the best efforts of Wales Air Ambulance who flew to his aid, five-year-old Ned Jones tragically passed away following a car accident in 2016, which also saw his grandmother lose her life.
Nine-year-old Cai Jones and his 16-year-old brother Tomi will each take on their own running challenges this year in memory of their brother Ned.
Cai has already started his running challenge, which coincides with Ned’s 13th birthday. He is running 13 miles in one week; two miles a day for six days and then a mile on the final day 2 March, which is Ned’s birthday.
Big brother Tomi is showing his support to Cai by running alongside him. He has also set himself his own challenge for later in the year. Tomi will be running in his first ever senior race – Aberystwyth 10k which will take place in December.
The furthest Tomi has previously run is 5k, so the 10k will be a challenge but will give him something to train for.
Tomi attends a weekly running training group, coached by a local runner called Dic Evans, who has previously represented both Wales and GB.
The boys have already smashed their fundraising target of £1,300 with donations so far totalling over £1,600.
Proud mum, Sharon Jones, said: “I’m extremely proud that the boys are willing and happy to take on a challenge in Ned’s memory, and I know that they will feel very proud of themselves when the money raised is handed over to Wales Air Ambulance. For me, it has always been important to keep Ned’s memory alive, and I wanted this to be something special that they will remember and be able to look back on proudly.”
This is the first time the boys have fundraised themselves. However, their dad Bleddyn, has previously completed a 24-hour indoor rowing challenge to raise money in memory of Ned. Cai and Tomi showed their support to their father during his fundraiser by hopping onto the rowing machines alongside him. The event raised over £11,500 for the Wales Air Ambulance.
Reflecting on the fundraiser, Sharon continued: “We’re hoping to have some of Cai’s friends come along to join in with the final mile, which Cai is looking forward to. I’m sure Cai will be feeling very tired by day seven so I’m hoping that having his friends will give him the boost to finish off smiling.
“Tomi is already looking forward to training for the 10k race. He is competitive like his dad and will want to complete the race in a good time.”
Flora Stanbridge, Community Fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance, said: “It has been heart-warming to hear how Tomi and Cai are both fundraising in honour of their brother Ned. It is very inspiring to see how they have turned such tragic circumstances into a positive outcome by fundraising for our cause. The boys have already smashed their fundraising target which goes to show the support they have from family and friends.
“Thank you to the whole family for their continued support. Every donation will enable the Wales Air ambulance to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most. Diolch yn fawr.”
You can show your support to Cai and Tomi by donating to their fundraiser via their JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sharonmarie-jones
Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.
It is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
