The son of a much missed Dorset fire chief will be taking part in a charity fun run to keep the memory of his dad alive.
Darran Gunter, former Chief Fire Officer of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service, died aged 55 in October 2021 following a battle with brain cancer.
He was described as “an absolute inspiration” by his 26-year-old son Rhys, who will be taking part in the City2Surf fun run in Sydney on Sunday, August 11 to raise money for the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.
This will be the latest fundraiser for Rhys, who completed the Weymouth’s annual harbour swim in December 2022 with his brother David, raising more than £1,500 for Weldmar Hospicecare.
Although Rhys is originally from Weymouth, he decided to do another fundraiser while currently abroad for a work placement in Sydney.
The 14km course starts from Sydney Central Business District and finishes at Bondi Beach.
Rhys described how this fundraiser will be a fitting tribute to his dad, who he described as a “fitness fanatic.”
He said: “My dad was in the fire service for 34 years. Everyone you speak to would talk about his fitness. He was obsessed with running and keeping fit.
“He was so determined not just in fighting cancer but in life, no matter what it was. He was absolutely a fighter and inspiration and we’re keeping his memory alive.
“I’m looking forward to it and know my dad would be very proud.”
Darran joined Dorset Fire and Rescue Service as Assistant Chief Fire Officer in 2001 based in Dorchester, before progressing to Chief Fire Officer and later overseeing the amalgamation of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service in April 2016.
A plaque was unveiled in October 2022 to honour the late officer at Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s HQ in Poundbury.
Rhys is hoping to raise as much money as possible in his father’s honour to help raise awareness of the disease and work towards finding a cure.
He said: “This charity is really important to me. We need to do all we can to fight the disease and stop families from losing loved ones. Any glimmer of hope whether that’s new research or treatment is super important.”
People can donate to Rhys' fundraiser on the City2Surf page: https://tinyurl.com/5auhbvn5
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