Four year old twins Lily and Freya will be taking on the 2.6 Challenge to support local patientsand NHS staff in Sheffield during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2.6 Challenge is a national fundraising campaign organised by the UK’s mass participation sports event industry to Save the U.K’s Charities. For many charities, 26 April would have been the biggest fundraising day of the year thanks to the London Marathon, the world’s biggest one day fundraising event which raised £66.4 million for charities in 2019.

With the 2020 marathon cancelled, charity supporters up and down the country are getting together to dream up their own challenges based around the numbers 2.6 or 26, to raise money for their favourite charities.

Four year old twin girls Lily and Freya, who were born at the Jessop Wing in Sheffield, are taking on the challenge after seeing their mum, Abby, run the Sheffield Half Marathon in 2019.

Abby said, “Ever since the girls saw me take on the Sheffield Half Marathon for Sheffield Hospitals Charity last year they’ve been interested in running and fundraising. They said they want to be like me and run too, so we've been going to the junior park-run at Graves Park in Sheffield prior to the lockdown. They are some of the youngest there and find it tough but enjoyable.

“Freya finds running 2KM at Graves Park particularly challenging as she had a heart operation only six months ago, so she is going to ride 26 laps of our street on her bike as she has recently learned how to ride without stabilisers. Lily will be running 2.6KM.

“The affect of COVID-19 on us as a family means the girls are obviously not at school and we are together at home most of the time. The 2.6 Challenge is a great way for us to do something positive whilst in lockdown whilst also raising much needed funds for the NHS in Sheffield.

“The hospitals in Sheffield, particularly the Jessop Wing where the girls were born, were so amazing and supportive both during my pregnancy and after they were born. The NHS staff who work there need support more than ever at this time so we wanted to take part and give something back.”

If you’d like to sponsor Lily and Freya for their 2.6 Challenge and support patients and staff being treated in Sheffield's hospitals, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abigail-s-2-6-challenge

If you are interested in taking on The 2.6 Challenge, you can find out how to get involved by clicking here.