AN inspirational former firefighter from Tameside raised thousands of pounds for charity during the first UK lockdown by walking 182 miles… on his treadmill.
Clive Green, 71, served with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for 30 years.
He retired in 2003 and was diagnosed with life-limiting, incurable Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) 11 years ago, after being tested for asbestosis.
On his diagnosis, Clive said: “Initially I didn’t think much of it. I just had a bit of a cough and I still felt physically fit, so I wasn’t too concerned.
“Then, around five years ago, a disc burst in my back and I had to have an operation. It was only after that I found I was struggling to breathe, and my Pulmonary Fibrosis was the reason.
“I saw a consultant at Wythenshawe Hospital, who was just wonderful, and she told me that the only way to manage this condition was with steroids; I’ve been taking them ever since.”
In 2018, Clive set up the Tameside Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group (TPFSG) with his wife Sue.
Tragically, since then, 17 of the group’s members have passed away as a result of PF.
He said: “When we first started TPFSG we never imagined it would become as big as it is today.
“We plugged it massively ahead of the launch, and our first meeting at Ashton Fire Station was attended by so many people we couldn’t believe it.
“We’ve grown so much that we now use the entire Waterloo Methodist Church for our meetings, which we hope to continue once we’re out of lockdown.”
Clive decided the best way to honour the memory of their departed group members, as well as do something to benefit other sufferers of PF, was to embark on his ‘Coast to Coast’ treadmill walk.
He continued: “I set myself the challenge last year while were enjoying the lovely spring and summer; we’d bring the treadmill outside and I’d do some walking.
“I didn’t immediately occur to me to ask for sponsorship because I didn’t think I’d be able to walk the distance. I was doing it more for my own health to be honest.”
Despite having just 50 per cent lung capacity, Clive walked the equivalent distance of the Coast-to-Coast Walk from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire, passing through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors.
His incredible achievement saw him raise £2,000 in donations which was split to benefit two charities: Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust and Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis.
And in his ongoing mission to raise awareness of PF, he says his ultimate goal would be to see one of his TPFSG posters photographed with the astronauts on the International Space Station.
• If you or someone you know is struggling with PF, the Tameside Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group is open to anyone affected. Call 07533 802 620 or email tpfsg1@gmail.com