A young man from Weymouth pushed through the pain barrier to complete a 14km run in honour of his 'inspirational' father.
Rhys Gunter, set himself a challenge of completing the City2Surf run in Sydney, to raise money for the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.
The chosen charity is a cause close to his heart as his father Darran Gunter, former Chief Fire Officer of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service, died aged 55 in October 2021 following a battle with the disease.
READ MORE: Son of Dorset fire chief Darran Gunter to embark on fun run
The course started at Hyde Park, weaving through Woolloomooloo before finishing at Bondi Beach.
Despite facing tough obstacles along the way, Rhys said he was spurred on by both the cheering crowds and the memory of his dad.
He said: "The atmosphere was electric. We got to see sites that I’d never seen before as we were running along Bondi Beach getting cheered along by crowds.
"It got hard one point as we had to make our way over the challenging Heartbreak Hill which felt like I was running over Mount Everest. But it was a really great day."
“The run was poignant to me as running was something my dad always liked to do.
"He was a fitness fanatic and always liked to run. Even after chemotherapy he never stopped running.
“His spirit for running empowered me to complete the run."
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.
Rhys' fundraising total came to 1,376 Australian dollars, exceeding his original target of A$1000. He wishes to thank everyone who supported his fundraiser and looks forward to complete more in the future.
He added: “A huge thank you to everyone for supporting me. I was surprised when I got over the finishing line that I completed it within the target time of under an hour and a half.
"I had a bit of trouble along the way but my dad was in my mind and I kept thinking this is for him."
Darran Gunter 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.
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