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LAD Runs Half Marathon At 36,000-Feet On Empty Plane To Raise Money For Cancer Support

LAD Runs Half Marathon At 36,000-Feet On Empty Plane To Raise Money For Cancer Support

Cabin crew member Henry Kehr took to the sky to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of his beloved mum

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

A member of cabin crew ran 13 miles at 36,000 feet above ground for charity, battling with turbulence in a bid to complete a half marathon while on an empty eight-hour cargo flight.

Henry Kehr, 25, finished the feat while he was travelling on a flight from Atlanta to London Heathrow.

The dedicated runner came up with the unique challenge after noticing a lot of fundraising events had been cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19, which had directly impacted charities who rely on donations.

Henry, who lives in East London Docklands, completed the run last month in two hours and 37 minutes and raised over £1,000 ($1,300) in memory of his beloved mum Tracey, who died in 2018 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Tracey was also a former cabin crew member which made the challenge even more poignant, and Henry opted to donate half the money raised to Macmillan, to help ensure the charity can continue to support those impacted by a cancer diagnosis.

What a LAD.
Instagram/henrykehr

Henry said: "My incredible inspirational mum passed away two years ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and it changed my life forever.

"She had been a cabin crew member years before I was born and by undertaking this challenge, and while the run was hard due to the cabin pressure and turbulence, when I was up in the sky, I felt she was with me every step of the way."

Explaining why he decided to tackle such a unique challenge, Henry - who ensured he adhered to social distancing throughout the run - said: "With a lack of fundraising events, I thought I would try and think of a different, socially-distanced way to raise some money for a few charities close to me, including Macmillan.

"I have run many different races in the past including marathons but nothing quite as crazy as this."

If a sky run isn't your cup of tea or you don't have the means to complete one (let's face it, you can't just get out of your seat and start jogging up and down the aisles), there are other ways to raise to support Macmillan, including hosting a Coffee Morning this month.

The charity are urging people to do whatever it takes to get involved and help them keep supporting people with cancer.

Emma Stokes-Heley, Macmillan Area Fundraising Manager for London, says: "Demand for our cancer support services is greater than ever, but, due to coronavirus, we are facing a significant drop in our income.

"That's why we're so grateful for the incredible efforts of fundraisers like Henry, helping us do all we can to be there for people with cancer now and in the future.

"We are doing everything we can to help address the immediate and unique challenges that having cancer during this pandemic brings but we need everyone's support, and while not everyone can take on a challenge like Henry's, hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning is another perfect way to show support.

"Donations are vital to enable us to continue to be there for people living with cancer."

Sign up at coffee.macmillan.org.uk.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/henrykehr

Topics: Daily Ladness, Community