A LOCAL man braved the wet and windy weather to walk 15,000 steps every day in January.

Gareth Roebuck, 51, of Wombwell, completed the challenge and raised £1,279 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).

The fundraising was a monumental success, making considerably more than his original £150 target.

“I’m a bit achy now,” he told the Chronicle.

“It was a long old month - I walk quite a bit anyway but this is a lot more.

“It works out to around eight miles, which you’re trying to get in every day around work and everything else.

“Even when it’s chucking it down you’ve still got to go, so I had a lot of washing to do this month.”

The challenge gave Gareth a good chance to exercise more, after an issue with his knee has made it more difficult to get up and about.

“I played cricket when I was younger, but my knee isn’t great anymore.

“All I can really do now is walk so it’s good to be able to get some more in.

“Unfortunately, between Christmas and New Year I went to the Dales to go walking.

“In hindsight that wasn’t ideal, I could’ve probably used a rest in that time to get ready.”

The avid rugby fan decided to take on the challenge at the end of last year, after seeing a post on Facebook that reminded him of former England representative Rob Burrow.

“I saw something Kevin Sinfield’s seven ultimate marathons in seven days,” Gareth added.

“I knew I couldn’t do that.

“This seemed more reasonable, so I applied for the fundraiser and then off you go.

“You can really see the devastation that Motor Neurone Disease causes people and families.

“When Rob Burrow’s on TV, you notice just how much he’s changed over the years.

“This was just a nice thing to do.”