YOUNGSTERS have swapped their tennis shoes for running shoes to raise money for the NHS.
Warwickshire Under 14 team members were left disappointed after the inter-county championships were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But instead of taking part in the competition, teammates including Ferran Redza from Warwick, Connor Checketts and Ollie Roe from Kenilworth, Daniel Garthwaite from Rugby and Samuel Sitch from Solihull, will each do a charity run.
They will run as far as possible around their home towns from today until Sunday to support the NHS. Some are even trying to run the equivalent of a marathon.
The boys hoped to raise £500, but have so far smashed that target by more than £1,500.
It was the idea of 12-year-old Ferran Redza who was recently the recipient of Warwickshire’s Junior Player of the Year Award.
He said: “We were gutted when we heard the cup was cancelled. We’d all been training really hard for this – but it’s the same for everyone and lots of kids are having a much worse time than we are.
“We’ll be trying to run as many miles as we can as a team because it’s a great cause.”
And the squad has received the support of British number one Dan Evans who sent them a message.
He said: “The boys are doing an amazing thing raising money for the NHS. By turning the negative of the County Cup being cancelled into such a positive fund raising event is amazing.
“At such a difficult time for everyone this just shows how people can come together in such a positive way. Well done boys.”
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