Arthur Gilbert, 13 years old from Penarth, Wales, is a sports enthusiast, playing rugby, football, and tennis for his local clubs. However, Arthur has taken his love for sports to a new level by setting himself a mega fundraising challenge for the BHF: virtually running from Cardiff Castle to Buckingham Palace; a total distance of 242 km (approximately 150 miles), over three months.
Sharing more about his challenge, Arthur says: “I worked out that to run 242 km over the three-month DofE challenge period, I would have to run an average of 3km a day. I’ve tried to stick to that and then run a bit further some days to make up for any days I’ve had to miss.” At the time of writing this story (November 2022), Arthur is currently at 176 km, meaning he has twenty-two 3 km runs to go until he completes his challenge!
So how has Arthur kept himself motivated? He shares the secrets to his success so far. “I decided to sign up to the DofE Award because I’ve always been motivated and driven to do what I think is best, and I believe that the DofE Award is the perfect opportunity for this.”
However, Arthur’s fundraising for the BHF stems from a personal connection to our cause, after losing his grandpa in May last year to heart failure.
“Heart failure made the last couple of years really tough for my grandpa and grandma,” says Arthur. “My grandpa struggled a lot with his breathing because of his heart and my grandma had to care for him, which was a lot of work for her. He would often pass out and my grandma wasn’t able to help him up on her own. It was sad to see my grandpa, who used to love rock climbing, caving, and travelling, not be able to do these things anymore.”
Arthur has used his personal connection to the BHF as a catalyst to power him through his challenge and get through any adversities he’s faced, such as balancing revision and a plantar fasciitis heel injury. “I’ve run through rain, sun, cloud, and cold and I feel like it’s boosted my resilience and persistence in challenges.
He continues, “These past few months I’ve experienced ups, downs, and injuries. But I’m determined to finish the challenge and have been throughout.” Arthur says that he’s on track to finish his challenge ahead of time, around 12 December, but is still keen to increase his fundraising target.
Despite having raised a fantastic £777 for the BHF, Arthur is determined to increase this and reach the amazing milestone of £1000.
Arthur reflects on the highlights from his fundraising so far, sharing that the challenge has allowed him to develop new skills and to build his resilience and sense of determination. He continues, “It’s a great experience that will benefit you mentally and physically and with your general morale in feeling that you’re doing good for others.”
Thank you so much Arthur for choosing to volunteer with the BHF and a huge well done for all the fabulous fundraising so far! We wish you the very best of luck for the remainder of the challenge.
We’re delighted that the BHF is an Approved Activity Provider for the volunteering section of the award. You can find out more information about volunteering for the BHF as part of your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award here.