A FATHER is taking part in sporting challenges to support a hospice that cares for his young daughter.

Shane Pardew is raising funds for Little Harbour which is run by Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) at Porthpean, St Austell.

Shane’s younger daughter, eight-year-old Evie, has a rare chromosome seven deletion as well as stage three kidney disease. She cannot walk, so is reliant on crawling, and is non-verbal.

Little Harbour offers care and support to his family including wife Amy and older daughter Skye.

Shane is taking on the Plymouth Half Marathon on Sunday, May 11, and a three-day cycling event for CHSW in the summer.

He said: “I ran Plymouth Half last year off my own back to see if I could do it, and I could. I was asked to run for the hospice, and I said maybe next year. Now here I am.”

In July, Shane will be participating in CHSW’s 200-mile cycling event, Ride for Precious Lives, along with 118 other riders. The event sees cyclists pedal between the CHSW hospices in the region. This will be Shane’s third time taking part, after being inspired by his wife’s brother.

He said: “I remember watching on as Amy’s brother took part and I said to her: ‘This is my event. I need to do this next year.’

“I knew it would help me to give back, and that it would also be a personal challenge. With what we’ve gone through with hospitals and everything else, I needed to do this. I’d also put on a bit of weight, so it was a focus point for me as well. Fundraise, get fit, give back and do my thing.”

Shane enjoys the sense of camaraderie and the fun of the event, despite the challenging route. He loves the build-up to the cycle, including the fundraising. He takes his spin bike to supermarkets and completes static cycles as part of his fundraising.

He said: “It’s such a feel-good weekend, I just don’t know of any other event that is so well put together, and what I get from it, the whole weekend from start to finish, is amazing.”

Shane’s family has been supported by CHSW for four years, initially at the Little Bridge House hospice in North Devon and now at Little Harbour.

Shane said: “We’re at a stage now where we can really enjoy the hospice. Evie has the mobility to crawl around and do her thing and enjoys crafts. Evie loves it at Little Harbour, and she now knows where she is.”

He is hoping to raise £1,400 to support the care that is provided at all three of CHSW’s hospices for over 500 families including his own.

Shane, from Plymouth, concluded: “We don’t know what’s around the corner and we go year by year. We’re making as many memories as we can; doing what we can to give back to the hospice has been so good for us and makes us stronger.”

Shane has a JustGiving Page at www.justgiving.com/page/shanesrfpl